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


romance
cheating
new-adult
single-parent

Beyond The Cage


Alana Sapphire - 2016
    He’s smart, tall, dark, and handsome, with a bad boy twist. The only problem is, this Prince Charming doesn’t talk. That’s right. He acknowledges he can, he just…doesn’t.The night I met him, his beauty turned my brain to mush. Then, he kissed me, and my world tilted on its axis. He was a distraction, something I didn’t need being twenty-two years old and pre-med. Besides, I had no business even thinking about a violent MMA fighter, so I walked away with no intention of seeing him again. Apparently, he had other plans.He tracked me down, and I brushed all my objections aside, diving head first into a relationship because he intrigued me. As I get to know him, I learn he’s not the psychotic killer I thought he was, but the more I’m with him, it seems the less I know. He’s a conundrum – scary fighter and gentle giant; public figure, private man. Mystery surrounds him and no one is more curious than I am. Well, you know the saying – ‘curiosity killed the cat’. Cameron’s world is dangerous, and I’m about to learn firsthand. When it breaks down my door, will he be able to save me?***REVISED AS OF 8/15/2016*** (Instances where Jasmine referred to Cameron as "Daddy" were removed)

Coming Down


Carrie Elks - 2014
    That was before she met Niall Joseph, a gorgeous Irish art student who for one hot summer turned her world upside down.Almost a decade later, Beth is living in London and desperately trying to forget her past. But then Niall walks back into her life, reigniting a desire that threatens to engulf them both.Faced with a choice between her reliable, steady life and the unexpected joy that Niall offers, Beth finds herself torn. Can they remain just good friends, or is their connection too strong to be ignored?

Crossing


Stacey Wallace - 2013
    Being a Plain Jane with a mouth on her hasn’t exactly served Dani well in the guy department. In fact, she’s had nothing but one night stands. Still, she lets go of her insecurities and falls for Liam, despite feeling like he’s holding something back.When Dani finally discovers Liam’s secret, she must learn the true meaning of accepting the ones we love for who they are, or risk losing the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

Planning on Forever


Ashley Wilcox - 2012
    With graduation day nearing and college life on the horizon, Collin flirts with infidelity and loses everything he has with Alexa.Brokenhearted and single, Alexa meets sexy Nolan Pratt. She can’t deny the attraction and pull that he has over her.Not being able to accept the fact that he has lost Alexa forever, Collin focuses all his attention on his second love, football, in an attempt to move on.Will Collin be able to win Alexa’s heart back or will he find that his first love isn’t the love of his life?

Lost in Us


Layla Hagen - 2014
    But when her boyfriend of six years abruptly leaves her, she’s catapulted back into pain, nursing a broken heart. When indulging in mountains of chocolate doesn’t work, Serena decides the best way to deal with her shattered heart is to indulge in something else. A rebound... The night she swaps her usual Sprite for tequila, she meets James. The encounter is breathtaking.Electrifying.And best not repeated. James is a successful entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. A man who has amassed a fortune by taking risks. A man who has shunned commitment completely, and still does. He’s the exact opposite of Serena. But sometimes opposites attract. Sometimes they give in to burning passion. Sometimes opposites are perfect for each other. James is everything her damaged soul could want. His kisses are intoxicating, his touch out of this world. He makes her forget. He grants her peace from her pain. But as they grow closer, Serena discovers she isn’t the only one with a past. James carries the scars of a past much darker than hers. One that has left him damaged, hurt, and wary of love. A past that gives him the power to shatter her. Now James and Serena must find a way to mend one another. Or risk losing each other forever.

Stealing His Heart


Ella Jade - 2014
    After a bad experience with a college jock she decided it was better to be alone than to get burned again. She focused on her education and now her new job at a local private school.Professional baseball pitcher Paxton Hughes is a player both on and off the field. He's signed to the Kingston Crushers to bring home the coveted championship title. Nothing can get in his way. Serious relationships don't mix with a life on the road and he never loses focus on the game. One-night stands are his specialty for a reason.While out jogging one spring morning, the two collide, setting their course in motion. Pax is immediately drawn to the unassuming beauty. Sophia is aware of his reputation and decides one night of meaningless sex with the attractive Texas charmer is just what she needs to get over her self-imposed dry spell. Pax has more than a one-night stand on his mind, but will his bad-boy persona and demanding schedule ruin any chances of a happily ever after?Content Warning: contains explicit sex and adult content

Man of My Dreams


Faith Andrews - 2013
    But the man in her dreams is the one that got away—her high school crush.Mia has the life everyone envies. A white picket fence, two adorable daughters, and a hottie husband who stole her heart in college with the strum of his Gibson and his sexy baritone. But when forever becomes monotonous for this perfect couple, their faith in each other is tested. For Declan, long trips away from home because of his demanding job cause him to find comfort on the road. For Mia, the recurring dreams of her old flame and the shock of her husband's infidelity send her running into Noah's arms at their ten year high school reunion. Will Mia abandon the alluring pull of the past for her picture perfect future or will the man of her dreams be replaced by the man in her dreams? MAN OF MY DREAMS is a full-length, contemporary romance. This is book one in the Dream Series and can be read as a standalone.

No Strings Attached


Kristen Strassel - 2015
    I never expected his heart to be part of the deal.The last thing I want to do is face my cheating ex-husband at my twentieth high school reunion. When my best friend suggests I hire an escort for the weekend, I choose a man I’d never have a chance to date in real life.Jagger Holiday. Sinfully sexy. An artist with a haunting vision. My fantasy.We connect through our art, sharing a passion for things that have been forgotten and making them beautiful. But I never expected his soul to whisper to mine when he touched me…Now Jagger wants to make the fantasy our reality, but can I give my heart to a man whose body is for hire?Intended for adult audiences only. HFN ending. Leah and Jagger's story continues in books 2 and 3.

Give Me Reason


Zoey Derrick - 2013
    As if growing up with an alcoholic, drug addicted mother wasn’t traumatic enough, she’s escaped from her physically and verbally abusive boyfriend only to struggle every day to make ends meet as a waitress in a Minneapolis diner.Along comes Mikah Blake, a handsome stranger who quickly takes an unexpected and persistent interest in her. On the surface, “Mr. Suit” seems to be Vivienne’s opposite: rich, well-fed, successful. As Vivienne will learn, Mikah is more than he seems, and for reasons unknown, he’s determined to be her knight in shining armor. But after having finally found her own two feet after years of abuse, it’s difficult for her to accept Mikah’s help.Will her body’s unexpected response to Mikah’s touch be reason enough to overcome her pride and traumatic past and learn to love and trust? Or will her past, refusing to be left behind, come back to claim her?

Skipping Stones


J.B. McGee - 2013
    Now available**They say there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.Not everyone will grieve in this order, nor will everyone go through every stage. It’s during the stage of denial when Alex Hart meets Andrew Foster. He takes her one-step closer to acceptance: the stage when new, meaningful relationships are formed. The stage when the realization occurs that this is now the new state of normal.Just when Alex thinks she is on her way to healing, she enters the bargaining phase. That’s the phase where you wonder what you could have done differently. You wonder “what if?” Specifically, what if the ones you loved hadn’t left you?Leaving…this is what makes heading off to war so difficult and frightening for Alex. She knows all too well what it’s like to be the one on the losing end of life, which is why she’s made it her personal mission in life to save as many lives as possible. The extreme high she gets from treating trauma victims turns into Alex’s own form of therapy, or so she thinks.When faced with her world being turned upside down, Alex may just find that her true therapy is in the one who has always saved her.

Dirty Little Lies


Clare James - 2014
    (Yeah, she knows it’s stupid name, so don’t start.) But most importantly, Stevie’s lost herself. As she shuffles through her days in worn-out Hello Kitty PJs—eating ice cream, sipping wine, and contemplating her next move—a magazine article catches her attention. Blaring black letters read: "How to Get Your Sexy Back in Six Easy Steps."Stevie studies the article in the trashy magazine like the good student she is and immediately knows what she has to do. With the magazine article in hand, and a bottle of red in her bag, Stevie embarks on a journey to reclaim her life and win back her ex. Until she meets Gabe Shannon. Gorgeous, single, and on a quest of his own, Gabe introduces Stevie to a lifestyle that is sure to help get her sexy back and then some. If she doesn’t chicken out … (Oh, you know where this is going.)What follows is a story of self-discovery, romantic gestures, erotic encounters, and following one's heart--even if it leads in unexpected directions.Portions originally published online as The Club e-series, Dirty Little Lies now has 70% more content, chapters from Gabe's point of view, and a sizzling conclusion to this steamy tale.

Wanted by You


Steph Nuss - 2014
    Carter was captivated by Ellyson Evans the moment he laid eyes on her, but she was the one girl who didn't beg for his attention.He wanted her.Ellyson vowed to never fall in love, because love can destroy you, but then she met Carter Jennings.She wanted him.Unwilling to risk their comfortable friendship, neither confessed their desires.Losing touch after college, a chance meeting reconnects them.They want each other.But love in the city is never quite that easy.

Gift Wrapped


Karla Doyle - 2014
    So when she looks into the eyes of a last-minute shopper after closing on Christmas Eve, she’s sarcastic rather than sympathetic. But Brinn is ever the good girl and her conscience wins out. She offers the handsome stranger ten minutes to select a gift and ends up with a present of her own—a date. On Christmas Eve. Davis hates Christmas. Especially this year, since a neighborhood heist liberated him of his hard-earned belongings and the few gifts he’d purchased. But the robbery led him to a cute store manager with a sense of humor, smokin’ body and no plans for the evening. Mistletoe might be in order after all. Their Christmas Eve date is like gift-wrapped, sexy satisfaction. But the best gifts keep on giving, and one naughty night may not be enough—for either of them.

Cowboy Town


Kasey Millstead - 2013
    Her parents passing and the fact she’s an only child meant Eden was left with her best friend, Jules and Matt, her boyfriend of three years as her only family. That was until she discovered something about Matt that would turn her life upside down. Eden leaves Sydney in a hurry and begins an adventure that takes her across four Australian states before she lands in Pine Creek, Northern Territory.Jackson Henley has lived in Pine Creek his entire life. He runs a massive cattle and cropping station with his twin brother, Jeremy, which they inherited when their parents retired. He’s had a bad experience with relationships courtesy of The Bitch - Dannika, so lately he’s preferred to play the field. That is, until he comes face to face with the stunning brunette beauty who’s behind the bar at the Cow and Calf. The problem is, she won’t tell him her name, she won’t give him the time of day, and she won’t give him a chance to prove himself.What’s it going to take for Eden to give Jackson a chance? Does he have the patience to even bother fighting for her? How will he handle the competition?In the end, will Jackson have what it takes to convince Eden to start living again, instead of just existing?

Love, Lust & A Millionaire


Sandi Lynn - 2015
    I moved from Chicago to live in the one place that I considered to be the center of the universe: New York City. At twenty-three years old, after raising my two brothers and sister, it was time for me to start my own life. I worked as a waitress in a greasy diner by day and, by night, I performed my music in small clubs around the city and on the streets of New York. That was until a man and his daughter stepped into the diner and changed my life forever. He hired me to be his daughter’s nanny, but I have a feeling he wants more from me. My name is Oliver Wyatt and I made my first million at the age of twenty. Life’s been somewhat complicated since my five-year-old daughter, Sophie, was sent to live with me after her mother died. She drove away the nannies I hired to take care of her until one afternoon, while eating lunch, a beautiful waitress and my daughter shared a special connection. She was exactly what Sophie needed. My brother, Liam, said she was just what I needed. I am nothing but a man with a heart of stone, compliments of a girl I loved so many years ago. Lust is a powerful emotion; an emotion so strong that trying to deny it only makes it that much stronger. Now that I have met Delilah, rules will be broken and lines will be crossed. Intended for readers 18+