Book picks similar to
Guarded Heart by C.A. Harms


romance
cheating
single-parent
new-adult

Always You


Stephanie Rose - 2015
     All we had was friendship and my silly hope for more. When he left and took all of that with him, I moved on. Settled. I figured that happiness wasn't in the cards for me. Until, one night of drinks with an old "friend" gives me a hope I never expected, but don't know what to do with. This time, I have the chance I always dreamed about—but I'm not free to take it. *** Ten years ago, Samantha was only a friend, a sweet girl I never wanted to hurt. Now, she's everything I want and nothing I can have. She belongs with me, even if she's not really mine, and I can’t settle for anything less than all of her. Now that I’ve got a second chance, I'm grabbing it with both hands. Why did it take so long to realize that it was Always You?

Silent No More


N.E. Henderson - 2013
    Life couldn’t get any better—or so she thought. Just when you think you have it all, add in a little betrayal and a few lies and you have the perfect mixture for a storm, strong enough to send you spiraling into a life full of unknowns—or could that have been the point? When traveling down the wrong path sometimes we need to be blown into a different direction. Now unsure of everything she had planned for herself, Shannon is on a mission to forget, but what she isn’t expecting to run into is the arrogant, womanizing, control freak that clearly thinks he’s a gift to all women. That may be for most women, but not this one. Meet Nicholas Lockhart. He’s sexy, domineering, and has a temper that is easily triggered, but those things are a must when in the business environment that he is. To be successful means to be the best, the alpha, controlling all others. Meeting a woman who can turn his world upside down is not in the cards, not part of the plan. Why have one woman when there are so many appetizing ones to taste? A renowned eligible bachelor is the person he likes to be, that is until the defiant, redhead turns his head and puts him in his place. Their quick and intense passion takes them both by surprise, eliciting a relationship neither expected. When her past collides with her present, Shannon is forced to confront it head on, tangling her in a web of lies and twisted truths that soon leave both bare and vulnerable. Sometimes the only option is to be silent no more…

Thin Love


Eden Butler - 2014
    It isn't supposed to leave you bleeding. Kona pushed, Keira pulled, and in their wake, they left behind destruction. She sacrificed everything for him. It wasn't enough. But the wounds of the past can never be completely forgotten and still the flame remains, slumbers between the pleasure of yesterday and the thought of what might have been. Now, sixteen years later, Keira returns home to bury the mother who betrayed her, just as Kona tries to hold onto what remains of his NFL career with the New Orleans Steamers. Across the crowded bustle of a busy French Market, their paths collide, conjuring forgotten memories of a consuming touch, skin on skin, and the still smoldering fire that begs to be rekindled. When Kona realizes the trifecta of betrayal—his, Keira's and those lies told to keep them apart—his life is irrevocably changed and he once again takes Keira down with him into the fire that threatens to ignite them both.

The Pickup


Nikki Ash - 2019
    The world decides for us. But I disagree.I believe love is a decision. Who we love, how we love. It’s in our control - in our hands.I grew up having no clue about the true meaning of love. Money. Cars. Houses. Status. Fame. That’s what love means to the people around me.It wasn’t until the woman I picked up in a bar came back into my life and showed me love can be so much more.So, what’s the problem?The woman I’m falling in love with believes in fairytales. She compares everything to a storybook and wants the happily-ever-after.So while she’s stuck on recreating stories that have already been told, page by page, I’m showing her it’s time we write our own book.Nobody ever said the journey of falling in love would be easy, just that it would be worth it. The Pickup is a standalone sports romance.

Friend Zone


Nicole Blanchard - 2018
     Maybe if Charlie St. James repeats it enough, she’ll stop lusting after him. Not that it matters how she feels anyway, because Liam will always see her as one of the boys. Hell, he’s the one who gave her the nickname Charlie as a joke. Well, the joke’s on her. Now that she is confined to less than 1,000 square feet with him, she can’t stop thinking about how it would feel to get just a little bit closer. Charlie St. James is off limits. She’s been Liam Walsh’s best friend since grade school. He thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to let her crash with him when she needed a place to stay, but he was dead wrong. Knowing only a thin wall separates them when they sleep, that she’s naked in the shower while he lays in bed fantasizing about her, is unbearable. When their cozy two bedroom goes from friend zone to war zone, they’ll either burn up the sheets or go down in flames.

The Sins That Bind Us


Geneva Lee - 2016
    Not when I did my first line of cocaine. Not when I became a single mother. But I changed, and every decision I’ve made was to protect myself and my son from my weaknesses—and my past.Until Jude came along and made me question everything, even my own secrets. The sins I carry with me can never be discovered. Life handed me broken bits of people and left me to construct my own world, and it’s too fragile to take a chance on Jude Mercer.We write our own stories.We build our own prisons.We weave our own lies.We commit the sins that bind us.

The Misadventures of Catie Bloom


Brooke Stanton - 2016
    He's a player ready to settle down. Can they fake it till they make it into each other's arms? Catie Bloom dreads being found out as a hot mess. So when the high-profile domestic goddess’s supposedly perfect life is scheduled for a TV special, she’s desperate to hide the slovenly reality while she scrambles to learn to cook and find a studly pretend hubby. And with her future on the line, she reluctantly accepts the office playboy’s lifeline to help her cover up the cracks and look the part… Sportswriter Sam Harding buries authenticity behind his breezy charm. And though he knows Catie’s less-than-tidy secret, he’s frustrated when his lady’s man reputation gets in the way of intriguing the one woman who holds his heart. So when he discovers her goose could be cooked, he jumps at the chance to stand in as her handsome prince. As Catie struggles with burned offerings, her growing attraction to Sam is a grease fire waiting to happen. While Sam worries if he keeps his desires hidden for much longer, he’ll lose his opportunity to move from bogus husband to the real deal. Is their passion about to be roasted, or can they whip up a gourmet romance?The Misadventures of Catie Bloom is the hilarious first book in the Bloom Sisters romantic comedy series. It’s a dash of Sophie Kinsella’s Can You Keep a Secret, with a helping of Christmas in Connecticut, and a recipe all its own, mixed into a delicious and romantic romp. Buy The Misadventures of Catie Bloom to set a table for two today!

Unsocial


Nicole Dykes - 2016
    A successful business owner of a custom car and motorcycle shop in Oklahoma and master of my own destiny. Other than my best friend and business partner my life is my own, and I answer to no one. Then my life changes with a single phone call and I’m back in Kansas fighting for guardianship of my four younger siblings. Now I answer to her, Brooke Porter. Brooke I’ve devoted myself for the past six years to my dream of being a social worker. My very first case are the Monroes, and professional and personal boundaries blur as I become closer to them. Now my dreams are of Dylan. The attraction Dylan and I have is heading us straight to unsocial behavior. What will we be risking if we give in? *Unsocial is a New Adult Romance novel that contains mature content and is not suitable for anyone under 18

Shameless


Lexy Timms - 2018
     He has no shame. Dylan Hill is a born and bred country boy from Kansas. He’s never had much use for big cities or fast living. He definitely feels like a fish out of water when he hits New York City, looking for his childhood sweetheart. But it seems Maisy Dee Fowler has made quite a few changes since she left home, starting with her name. Somehow this sweet country girl has become Morvared—model for the sexiest underwear line in the country. Forget college. She’s on her way up and has no time to screw anyone who isn’t going to further her career. The snow is driving down as Dylan leaves the apartment of his lady love, wanting to erase the images of his naked sweetheart in the arms of another man. He finds himself in Times Square. And it’s just his luck his cheating girlfriend is on every billboard. In all her glory. Hard as nails agency executive Bailey O’Brien can’t take her eyes off what has got to be the sweetest male perfection she’s ever laid eyes on: Dylan, standing in the falling snow with his head tilted back, wearing a denim jacket and jeans, a cowboy hat clutched in one hand. Acting on impulse she slams out of her cab into the blizzard, snaps a picture, and tells him he should be a model. More specifically, HER male model. Dylan thinks the fiery redhead is crazy. But there’s something appealing in what she’s offering. What if there’s a way to beat one spoiled little supermodel at her own game? Revenge is only a contract away—and how hard could it be to pose for a few pictures? Impulsively he signs, having no idea that he’s just given himself, body, and soul, to a woman he barely knows. MODEL MAYHEM SERIES Shameless Modesty Imperfection

Southern Rocker Boy


Ginger Voight - 2014
    Jonah finds work at an auspicious night spot called Southern Nights, where he earns a few extra bucks as a bouncer-turned-musician.There he meets fiery songstress Lacy Abernathy, who has no use for him or anyone else in the club when she’s not on stage. This is an entirely new experience for this ladies’ man. The opportunistic club owner latches onto this chemistry to fill her club, playing with their hearts and livelihoods for her own questionable motives.Enter music executive Graham Baxter, who offers them both a way out…by competing for a recording contract they both need. Now if only they can fight the intense chemistry that keeps them locked in battle, when they're not locked in each other's arms, that is!Author Ginger Voight returns her readers to the star-making world of rockers and romance with her Southern Rocker series. It's all the angst and the passion you desire, with several familiar faces from the beloved Groupie universe along the way! Southern Rocker Boy is written from Jonah's point of view, and book one of an exciting new trilogy expected to release in its entirety by the end of 2014.

Alexander & Rebecca


Marianne Knightly - 2015
    So seriously, in fact, that he’s followed duty over pursuing the woman he’s loved for years. However, now it’s time for him to marry, and he’s tired of waiting. He’ll pursue her despite royal objections, and despite her own.A commoner falling in love with a prince.Rebecca Campo loves her work as chief of staff to Princess Catharine, her friend and Prince Alexander’s twin sister. Alex is every woman’s dream, and it comes as a shock when he seems to want her. Even after their passions overtake them, Rebecca still doesn’t believe they’re meant for forever because she’s only a commoner, not a future queen.An unexpected threat that can destroy them both.When a death threat is made against Alex, the whole family goes on alert. What no one counted on, however, was Rebecca getting caught in the crossfire.This novel features an older virgin and the future king who wants her, a royal family that loves one another (even while they annoy each other), and a look behind fictional palace walls.*This is a standalone book in the series with no cliffhanger, and features sexy scenes and swearing. Emotional trigger warning: discussion of potential assault.* * *Meet the Royals of Valleria, a country as old as the fall of the Roman Empire. The reigning king and patriarch rules with his beloved queen. Nine children, now grown, ranging from the eldest twins to the youngest son, watch over the country they love and care for. Bound by honor, duty, and loyalty, follow their lives as they fall in love, face tragedies, and triumph against the evils facing them.

Her Best Friend's Lover


Shiloh Walker - 2003
    His love life is a revolving door. No one special, no one stays, except Lauren, his best friend. She's a sweet beautiful, talented woman. His rock, the steadying influence in his life. So why is he starting to see her differently, where are these lustful thoughts coming from?Guys don't sleep with their best friends.Lauren has loved Dale for five years, from the moment she saw him. She loves his smile, his walk, his deep, sexy voice. But he isn't in love with her. She's his pal, his confidant. Until one hot, steamy night.

Hit & Run Bride


Nana Malone - 2014
     Marketing analyst Becca Daniels has a life that looks good on paper. A coveted promotion in an exciting new city and a successful, handsome fiancé. But with her Hawaiian honeymoon fast approaching, she has to face her biggest fear… water. She can’t swim. On her way to her first swimming lesson, however, she veers left instead of right and nearly runs over her hot, new swim instructor. Caution: Rising Waters... Liam Caldwell has put his life on hold to look after his sick mother. The last thing he needs is the hit-and-run brunette who ruined his motorcycle disrupting the adult swim class. But from the first lesson, he realizes there’s more to the curvy, smart-mouthed Becca than meets the eye, and no matter what he does, he can’t resist her luscious lips and her driving determination. No U-turn... With each lesson, Becca discovers that what looks good on paper isn’t making her happy. Should she play it safe in the shallow end with her career and fiancé? Or should she dive into deep waters with a man who offers passion and freedom like she’s never imagined?**This contemporary New Adult romance is intended for readers 17+. Contains adult content, language, and situations.

The Lost Art of Reverie: (Aveline Book 1)


Rae Walsh - 2019
    A long-forgotten dream. A new life in a spacious place.Corporate life has not been treating Katie Grace well. Suffering from extreme anxiety due to a recent incident at work, she learns that she has inherited her late grandmother's Victorian house in the lake town of Aveline, in the rolling hills of the Los Padres National Forest. Maybe a new start will be exactly what she needs.Hardware store owner Sam Grant remembers Katie from when they spent summers together, years before. Sam has determined never to get involved in a relationship again, but working on Katie's house renovations might put that resolve to the test.In Aveline, Katie allows herself to dream again, finding solace in creating food and a space for her new friends to gather. As members of the town welcome Katie, her heart begins to find safety, but will the events of the past repeat themselves?The Lost Art of Reverie is the first book in the Aveline Series, a collection of inspirational romantic stories with quirky, lovable characters, set in a fictional lake town in California. Perfect for fans of Jan Karon, Katherine Center, or Elizabeth Berg.

Hewitt


A.L. Long - 2020
    She thought she could have that with Peter Hewitt. She was wrong. With too many secrets getting in the way she knew it would never work. Accepting her parents’ offer to help with running a new art gallery in Paris, she thought she would be able to put her feelings behind and start a new life, only it didn’t work. Her days were filled with thoughts of Peter. Returning back to New York, Lilly wanted what her best friend Dylan Matheson had, a loving home, a beautiful child and a man that loved her more than life itself. Only the man she wanted to share these things with still had secrets that could tear them apart forever. When danger and loss enters her already imperfect life, would she finally be able to let down her guard and give the one thing she said he would never have. Her heart. This book contains adult content and is intended for mature audiences.