Book picks similar to
Evanthia's Gift by Effie Kammenou


romance
historical-fiction
amazon
fiction

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.

Gloria


Jessica Lynch - 2019
    Growing up an only child, all she had was her grandmother. After Nana’s passing, Gloria thought she was the last one left in her family.Well, she is. Since Great Aunt Patti is dead and all.That’s okay. The nice lawyer who wrote her a letter assured Gloria that her great aunt lived a long, happy life in a small town that Gloria has never heard of. And now, as her next of kin, everything she owned belongs to Gloria.Including a house. Which sounds like a godsend to Gloria, who is eager to start her dream business and could use the extra cash.Only there’s a catch. Because of course there is. The house is hers—but only after she lives there for a year. One year in Hamlet and then Gloria will have enough money to follow her dream. Why not? It’ll give her time to work on her flavors. And it wasn’t like she had much going on for her in the city anyway.She’s moved in by Thanksgiving, ready to spend the holidays in her new home.So what if her new neighbor is the hottest guy she’s ever seen? Franklin is as grumpy as he is handsome, and he hates Christmas.Seriously.A year? Gloria will be lucky if she makes it to January. * Gloria is a small town Christmas romance set in Hamlet! It’s not explicitly part of the Hamlet series and for two reasons: the timeline and how different in tone it’s going to be compared to the other (darker, more suspenseful) books. Gloria will be a sweet, low-stakes, fluffy romance, similar to Hallmark Christmas movies, though it will feature characters and settings from the Hamlet books. You don't have to be familiar with those books to read this book—it's definitely a stand-alone—but it's also a bit of a prequel to that series, set a couple of years before the first Hamlet book Don't Trust Me.

Happy Truth About Love


Karice Bolton - 2017
    Instead of overthinking what’s right in front of her, she embraces the freedom of the unknown and the thrill of leaving everything behind and moves to the small mountain town of Silver Ridge. It isn’t until she arrives at her late uncle’s Bed and Breakfast that she begins to doubt her newfound ability to throw caution to the wind. From the moment she opens the barely hanging front door and steps inside to see peeling wallpaper and a broken banister, she realizes this inheritance might not have been a gift at all. Her uncle had to be using the term Bed and Breakfast loosely in his will because it was more of a deathtrap than anything. But she does love her new town. And the overly helpful Joel North, who is exactly everything she’s told herself to stay away from. He’s gorgeous, somewhat mysterious, and he’s sprinkled with the power to make Autumn blush off just one look, which is completely unacceptable in the real world, but she just can’t help herself. What Autumn doesn’t expect to uncover are secrets that change everything she’s known about her family and the life she’s led. It doesn’t help that Joel seems to hold the answers to some of her darkest questions and there’s one he just won’t answer. As she rebuilds the old mansion, she realizes her uncle’s real gift wasn’t the B&B, but the truth that rested behind its walls.

Cured


Stacy Eaton - 2018
    For six years, Ember has closed off her heart, moving from one man to another, trying to feel something other than her own pain and guilt. Colt Barnes is a plastic surgeon who strives to give people a better quality of life, especially children. The night he watches Ember leave the bar with another one-night stand, he resolves to offer up a challenge to get her to view herself in a new light. Little does he know that the challenge will change both their lives, but when Embers’s secret is exposed, will Colt be able to accept it and trust her, or will Ember go back to her old ways and leave Colt broken? Love Medical Romance? Check out the rest of the Heal Me Series for sexy romances that will warm your heart as they deal with life-altering medical and psychological issues. While each book in the Heal Me Series is a stand-alone book, the characters cross between books and are best enjoyed by reading them in order. Cured, Book 1 Revived, Book 2 Mended, Book 3 Rescued, Book Eaton's romances are perfect steamy romances for fans of Melissa Foster, Carly Phillips, Mona Risk, Leanne Banks, Mimi Barbour, Carolyn Brown, and Lexi Blake and other small-town romance fans. The characters are flawed and real, dealing with real-life issues and overcoming real-life odds and earn their happily ever after.

Her Unexpected Roommate


Laura Ann - 2021
    The situation leaves her alone in the world, but offers something she's always dreamed of. The opportunity to open a bed and breakfast, turning her broken down inheritance into a place of light and laughter. Her dreams crash, however, when a handsome stranger shows up claiming he owns half of the seaside mansion and he's not willing to sell.Cooper James couldn't believe his luck when his estranged grandfather left him a half ownership in home in Oregon. It was the perfect opportunity for Cooper to start fresh in a place where no one knew the mistakes of his past. His patience is tested when the other owner, a beautiful but angry woman, demands to open a bed and breakfast, a situation that would be in direct contrast to his hopes for a refuge in which to build a new life.Can these two set aside their differences long enough to test the attraction simmering between them? Or will their fighting cost them everything?

A Tablespoon of Temptation


Kelly Collins - 2022
    He’s a man telling a lie. Will the truth bring them together or tear them apart?Danielle Morgan doesn’t need a recipe for love, she needs one for life. Hounded by her best friend to find a man or a hobby, she chooses the latter. After all, a hobby won’t break her heart. Perusing the aisles of a flea market, she purchases a box of books with one that promises to unlock what her heart desires. Right now, all she wants is to keep her job and stay ahead of her mounting debt. That is until she meets James, the hot new construction lead at Luxe resorts. Dating a coworker is against her rules, but James is a temptation she can’t resist.After a failed attempt at marriage, James Parks is happily wedded to his career as CEO of Luxe Resorts. His job doesn’t complain when he gets home late, and it’ll never take half of everything. Working undercover as the construction lead is his only passion until he meets Danielle Morgan. The last person he should date is a woman who works for his company. But like a decadent dessert, the more he tries to resist, the more he wants her. Will finding out his true identity sweeten the deal or leave a bad taste in her mouth? Do they have the right ingredients to create something magical or are they a recipe for disaster?Find out in A Tablespoon of Temptation…

The Orchard Inn


A.M. Kusi - 2019
    He’s looking for his future. Will they take a chance on a love neither expected…Ella lives in constant fear. After seven years of concealing her whereabouts from an abusive ex, she gets an opportunity for a fresh start when one of the few men she trusts leaves her a charming inn. When a mysterious, charming guest tempts her to open her heart again, she fears the scars from the past will keep her from anything close to love.
Hardworking and successful, River has always wondered if something's missing from his life. And when he falls for the gorgeous proprietor of Orchard Inn, he knows the tattooed beauty is exactly what he needs. Moved by her pain, he encourages her to open up about her fears while he promises to stay by her side. 
But just as their irresistible passions bloom, Ella’s brutal ex returns to reclaim what was never truly his.
 
Can Ella and River fight off the past long enough to awaken a forever love?The Orchard Inn is the inspirational first novel in the Orchard Inn romance series. If you like strong heroines, kind-hearted heroes, and a dash of suspense, then you’ll adore A.M. Kusi’s uplifting tale.Buy The Orchard Inn to watch a couple heal with love today!

Cowboy's Cupid


Niki J. Mitchell - 2018
     Cami Calypso receives her first assignment on Earth just in time for the Valentine season. As a newbie Cupid archer, her life is perfect until her arrow accidentally strikes the wrong man. She has sixty days to secure a job as the confident cowboy’s housekeeper and find him his soul mate—not keep him for herself. Rhett Holloway needs a housekeeper and cook. He doesn’t need an adorable blonde to distract him. He doesn’t need her to fix his love life. But here she is, and he finds her irresistible.

Faster


Deana Birch - 2018
    The junior producer knows she's dodged a bullet. Because, despite his melt-your-heart chocolate eyes and rising fame, Jake Riley is not boyfriend material. And those messages he sends in the middle of the night get filed under, "drunk text, best to ignore," without delay.Twelve grueling years of paying dues has finally resulted in a hit song for Jake. But, knowing the new zeroes in his bank account come with as many ways to blow it, he craves stability. So, stocked with an arsenal of charm and a reminder of what happened against her front door, he persuades Louana to see him again the next time he's in town. Now, certain he's found the calm to his storm, he asks her for the previously unthinkable-monogamy.

Coming Home


Holly Kerr - 2014
    Liking them is the hard part. After her cheating husband destroys her career, Brenna has nowhere to go but home. Home means her four sisters in the tiny Northern Ontario town with no Starbucks and well-meaning townsfolk who know her every move. Every mistake.And Brenna is making more than a few mistakes. From falling asleep at the local bar to hooking up with her niece’s boyfriend, Brenna’s life is giving the town a lot to talk about.Her sister Cat wants nothing to do with her. Content living in the family home with the ghost of their mother, Cat’s left a trail of broken hearts and failed marriages on the road to Brenna’s ex, Seamus Todd. Brenna’s return brings back old insecurities and unanswered questions for Cat. Sibling rivalries, old grudges and a least one knock-out, drag-down kitchen fight ensue as Brenna and Cat are forced to live under the same roof.And to make it worse, Brenna’s not the only one coming home.

The Hitman's Mistake


Sally Brandle - 2018
    But can she find him in time?The last person Grant Morley expects to discover on his annual supply run to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. Fortunately, love thrives in Emma Springs. If you love sizzling chemistry, Montana’s mountain landscape, and fast-paced action, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller, The Hitman’s Mistake.

As Deep As The Ocean


Cindy Caldwell - 2019
    Now that the tiny vaquita porpoises are endangered, Cassie knows she’s their only hope. The one thing she hadn’t counted on is Alex Ramos, the resort builder, showing up on her beach. Alejandro moved away long ago from his beloved beaches on the Sea of Cortez and has no desire to re-open the wounds he found at the sea. The sea that brought him peace, yet broke his heart. Now that he’s back—and not by choice—the sun and the sea wash over him again with a familiar serenity. As his family’s billion-dollar company moves forward with plans for a resort on the soft, sandy dunes, he must keep his heart in check and do what is expected—even if it means obliterating the breeding grounds of the porpoises he swam with as a boy. Can Cassie remind Alejandro what Vaquita Beach means to him in time to give it a fighting chance? By The Light Of The Moon -- June 2019 As Bright As The Stars -- July 2019 As Blue As The Sky -- August 2019

Miss Apple Pants


Charlotte Roth - 2013
    In her senior year of high school, her family moves across the country to Seattle, turning her already-small world upside down. She feels alone and lost… But then she finds a box of decades-old love letters between Martha and Frederick; she becomes best friends with her new midget neighbor, Miss T; and she meets Hans, a very symmetric German exchange student. But summer ends abruptly when she is forced to make a decision that will change her life. Forever. A warmhearted and humorous coming of age story, Lost in Seattle, is a celebration of family, love, friendship, motherhood, and that special bond between daughters, mothers, and women across generations. “If you love a fast-paced story, with snappy dialogue and lots of humor and heart, this is the book for you.”"Charlotte Roth caught my attention with the snappy chapter titles. She kept it with snappy dialogue, which I adore, unique characters, which I fell in love with, and a story filled with heartbreaking, humorous, and heartwarming moments. It hasn't been easy for Eleanor, living with her tree hugging, 'hippie-like' parents. She's not happy when they move her from the east coast all the way to Washington state. After an exhausting cross-country drive with her parents in a U-Haul truck, they finally reach their destination, only to find the truck is filled with another family's belongings. After five days of being stranded with nothing of their own and limited funds, they finally decide to get some use out of the unclaimed contents of the truck. When they find an iron mailbox full of letters from 30 years ago, the two women in the family decide to read them. The tales of a young couple's struggles three decades earlier weave a complex and interesting pattern into this already interesting web of entertaining story line. This first story of Ms. Roth reads like it's her tenth, with crisp, clean writing. I'm looking forward to reading more from her. I give it 5 stars and high recommendations!" Lori Leger, Author of Fictional Romance with a Cajun flair. Owner/Editor at Cajunflair Publishing

The Boss's Fiance : The Complete 5-Books Romance Series


Amanda Horton - 2019
     Book 5: The Boss’s Fiance Maxwell I’m used to getting what I want. But now, the board of my company is threatening to throw me out. I have to convince them I’m a good-hearted, responsible guy. And fast. She came into my life at the perfect time. A nurse with a heart of gold – who desperately wants something I just happen to have. I’ve sworn off long-term relationships. But this isn’t a relationship: it’s a business deal. All we have to do is live together for a few months. Killian Until last week, I’d never seen Maxwell Saint. He spent more time in tabloids than in the hospital he runs. But now, he’s offering me my dream come true – if I’ll pose as his fiancee for the hospital board. Maxwell Saint is spoiled. He’s my boss. He’s the last man on earth I’d consider dating. But he’s also incredibly hot. And how hard can a few months of fake fiancee-ship be? Book 4 : The Gypsy Dancers Anna There aren’t a lot of gypsy dancer jobs. That’s why I need this one – desperately. But the head of the dance company is just so...infuriating. Lance is hot. He’s rich. And we had that night together – one night, where I felt a connection I’ve never felt with anyone else. But I care about our culture and I won’t let him ruin it. And I’m not going back, no matter what he says. Lash I’ve got no time for love. After all, I’ve got a dance company to run. And I’ve found the perfect lead – a woman who eats, sleeps, and breathes in gypsy culture. Anna is beautiful. She’s graceful. She’s passionate. We had one great night and I’ve never felt like that before. But she can be so...infuriating. Nothing Anna says will change my mind, but I can't let go of her either. I won't.   Book 3: The Long Shot Every time he looks at me, I struggle for breath, my knees go soft, my heart races. Leon Alvaro is Spain's football captain, and my competitor. He wants to fu*k me....on the biggest deal of my life. He thinks just because of his strong arms, his chiselled body, his salty scent of the ocean… that he will beat me. I will let him touch me, kiss me, run his tongue over my body. I will let him believe that he has me like his other girls for one night, and I'll be done with him - once and for all. But this game is tougher than I thought and this playboy plays dirty. Book 2: High Rise Love Miranda asks America’s toughest CEO for help. Wolfe Hawkins drives a hard bargain. And he wants only one thing in return: Miranda's hand in marriage. Say yes and this might ruin her. So no and she will loose her dream. But this is just a business deal - nothing personal. Or so she thought. Book 1: Conquered The immigration department comes knocking on my door and gives me one week to leave the country. I have seven days to find a husband, or I will lose my son Nikko to my degenerate ex-husband. Then New York's richest billionaires finds me, and promises me U.S. citizenship. I would never even date a spoiled brat billionaire like Hunter – but now, I have to marry him.

Home at Last


Katherine Stone - 1999
    As Lucas Hunter pursues a cunning madman called the Lady Killer who is targeting beautiful, glamorous women who have been close to Lucas, he joins forces with television journalist Galen Chandler, the vicious serial killer's next target.