Book picks similar to
Letting Loose by Sue Civil-Brown


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contemporary-romance
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contemporary

Dinner First, Me Later?


Candy Halliday - 2007
    Everyone has a secret fantasy to share. Some have better ones to hide. Imagine! Retired baseball star Jake "The Rake" Sims living here--in the flesh! Well, he won't find Alicia Greene an easy conquest (she does not do bad boys). So what if his chiseled pecs and grand slam physique--displayed nightly in sexy underwear commercials--once made him her "most valuable" fantasy lover. His wild lifestyle squelched that dream. Now Jake swears he's reformed, Alicia's not buying it, and their matchmaking neighbors are doing their best to foil the couple's "good" intentions. They may be on to something. After one fabulous dinner, Jake takes Alicia in his arms and discovers how forbidden passion--more tempting and sweeter than dessert--can fulfill all her secret fantasies.

Message in a Bottle


Nicholas Sparks - 1998
    His stunning first novel, The Notebook, has been given by friend to friend and lover to lover all over the world as a testament to the timeless power of love. But if we thought he could never again move us so deeply, he now shows us he can-in a story that renews our faith in destiny...in the ability of true lovers to find each other no matter where, no matter when... Message In A Bottle Thrown to the waves, and to fate, the bottle could have ended up anywhere. Instead, it is found just three weeks after it begins its journey. Theresa Osborne, divorced and the mother of a twelve-year-old son, picks it up during a seaside vacation from her job as a Boston newspaper columnist. Inside is a letter that opens with: My Dearest Catherine, I miss you my darling, as I always do, but today is particularly hard because the ocean has been singing to me, and the song is that of our life together... For "Garrett," the man who signs the letter, the message is the only way he knows to express his undying love for a woman he has lost. For Theresa, wary of romance since her husband shattered her trust, the message raises questions that intrigue her. Who are Garrett and Catherine? Where is he now? What is his story? Challenged by the mystery, and pulled to find Garrett by emotions she does not fully understand, Theresa begins a search that takes her to a sunlit coastal town and an unexpected confrontation. Brought together by chance-or something more powerful-Theresa and Garrett are people whose lives are about to touch for a purpose, in a tale that resonates with our deepest hopes for finding that special someone and everlasting love. Shimmering with suspense and emotional intensity, Message in a Bottle takes readers on a hunt for the truth about a man and his memories, and about both the heartbreaking fragility and enormous strength of love. For those who cherished The Notebook and readers waiting to discover the magic of Nicholas Sparks's storytelling, here is his new, achingly lovely novel of happenstance, desire, and the choices that matter most...

Big Girl Panties


Stephanie Evanovich - 2013
    Now she's alone at age thirty-two. And she weighs more than she ever has. When fate throws her in the path of Logan Montgomery, personal trainer to pro athletes, and he offers to train her, Holly concludes it must be a sign. Much as she dreads the thought of working out, Holly knows she needs to put on her big girl panties and see if she can sweat out some of her grief. Soon, the easy intimacy and playful banter of their training sessions lead Logan and Holly to most intense and steamy workouts. But can Holly and Logan go the distance as a couple now that she's met her goals--and other men are noticing?

You Had Me At Hello


Mhairi McFarlane - 2012
    Ben and Rachel. It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart.It’s been a decade since they last spoke, but when Rachel bumps into Ben one rainy day, the years melt away.From the moment they met they’d been a gang of two; partners in crime and the best of friends. But life has moved on. Ben is married. Rachel is definitely not. In fact, the men in her life make her want to take holy orders…Yet in that split second, Rachel feels the old friendship return. And along with it, the broken heart she’s never been able to mend.If you love David Nicholls and Lisa Jewell then this is the book for you. Hilarious, heartbreaking and everything in between, you’ll be hooked from their first ‘hello’.

Only You


Denise Grover Swank - 2016
    . .Romance isn't an option for Holly Greenwood. With her wedding planner career on the line she needs to stay focused, and that means pleasing her demanding boss, not getting distracted by her mind-alteringly hot neighbor . . . Ex-Marine Kevin Vandemeer craves normalcy. Instead, he has a broken-down old house in need of a match and some gasoline, a meddling family, and the uncanny ability to attract the world's craziest women. At least that last one he can fix: he and his buddies have made a pact to swear off women, and this includes his sweetly sexy new neighbor. After one hot night that looks a whole lot like a disaster in the light of day, Kevin and Holly are about to learn that true love doesn't play by the rules . . .

Romeo, Romeo


Robin Kaye - 2008
    Telling her the truth would blow her whole career, and their relationship too.

Crystal Clear


Jane Heller - 1998
    After checking into the posh Tranquility resort, Crystal signs up for the five-day "Sacred Earth Jeep Tour" and settles back, awaiting enlightenment. What she gets is one hell of a surprise in the form of the tour's irresistibly handsome driver, Terry Hollenbeck--a.k.a. Mr. Totally Irresponsible Ex-Husband. And things go from complicated to downright crazy when Crystal's companion on the excursion, international jet-setter Amanda Wells Reid, goes missing in the desert. Now, searching for clues among Sedona's most eccentric characters, Terry and Crystal can't help but stumble into danger--and each other's arms--repeatedly. And Crystal can't help but wonder where her future really lies.

Studmuffin Santa


Tawna Fenske - 2017
    Not a fan. So why am I wearing a Santa suit and letting frisky moms paw me at a reindeer ranch?It might have something to do with the family crisis that drew me home between tours as a career Marine. Or maybe it’s my urge to cozy up with the prickly reindeer rancher whose curves give me visions of something way hotter than sugarplums.Jade King isn’t thrilled I’m here, and she’d be less thrilled to know her sister hired me to keep an eye on things. Someone’s set on sabotaging the ranch, so I’ve got a built-in excuse to get close to Jade.I could swear the attraction’s mutual, but something’s holding her back. Some secret in her past that has her pushing me away like a bad batch of eggnog. It’s almost as baffling as all these accidents at the King sisters’ place. Seriously, who’d screw with a reindeer ranch?Between sexy Santa suit malfunctions and risqué Christmas cookies, Jade and I keep ending up under the mistletoe together. Is there any chance we can mesh our Christmas wish lists, or will it all crash down like a fat man in an iron sleigh?

If the Shoe Fits


Laurie LeClair - 2013
    All she wants is her late father's dream to come true by making his beloved King's Department Store thrive again. However, her stepmother has other ideas. Charlie agrees to help her stepmother find grooms for her sheltered stepsisters. In exchange, the stepmother will release her stronghold on the store's budget. After all, one good deed deserves another, right? But, Charlie has no idea what her heart's in for when... Alexander (Alex) Royale, dubbed by society newspapers as Prince Charming, arrives for dinner to meet the all-female King family. His ailing grandparents yearn for his marriage and then the baby carriage. Well, that and running the family company. Having unsuccessfully searched for months, Alex doesn't hold out any hope in finding his future bride among the King sisters. However, all his expectations, including his idea of a business-like marriage of convenience, vanish the moment Charlie crashes into him. When Alex sets out out to win over Charlotte, he has no idea he has to bargain with the stepmother, secretly buy the store, court Charlotte after the wedding, and, oh yeah, be featured in Charlie's new fairy tale ad campaign, The Charmings, based on them. Can a guy ever get a break? The couple never factored in falling in love with each other. Now, faced with losing all their families ever wanted, Charlie and Alex must choose: Do they live their families' dreams or do they finally live their own?

Let Her Go


M.R. Pritchard - 2015
    She’s left picking up the pieces of her shattered world while the tabloids, pesky neighbors, and an eight-point buck seem to haunt her. The only thing keeping Morgan grounded is her recently discovered love for running. But everything changes when Morgan learns her husband was keeping secrets and he left her to run his successful gym with her newly acquired business partner, stoic MMA fighter Nick “The Strangler” Stacks. Will Morgan's second chance at love be a fight to the end?

Cover Model


Marie Rochelle - 2008
    Dark brown hair with natural highlights brushed the collar of his white-t-shirt, compelling gray eyes held hers as she tried to keep her composure as his deep rich voice apologized for being late. Never being involved with a case that he couldn't handle FBI agent Forbes Huntington takes risks for a living. In the fifteen years he has been an agent there hasn't been a job that he hadn't used his strength, charm or good looks to get solved. So, he wasn't worried about this new case that his boss assigned him to. How hard could it be posing as a cover model for a romance novel to catch a banker robber? Forbes thought he had everything under control until he walked late into the modeling auditions and spotted the woman of his dreams, his soul mate. Now how could he pretend to be something he wasn't and arrest her only living family member? When all he wanted to do was risk everything he had for a taste of her perfect mouth?

Another Saturday Night and I Ain't Got No Body


Jennie Marts - 2012
    Maybe, when her friends decide to find her Mr. Right. Sunny Vale considers herself a dog-loving, romance-reading homebody. But her life goes from dull to deadly when her book club fires her from her own love life and sets her up on six blind dates--one of whom might be with a murderer. More trouble arrives in the dead of night, in the form of Jake Landon, a mysterious stranger, who breaks into her neighbor’s house and possibly her heart. But Jake is packing more than a loaded gun in his well-fitting Levi’s. He brings an arsenal of secrets and plenty of heat to Sunny’s ho-hum summer.Jake Landon finds himself caught up in the capers of the sexy blonde in the house next door. But he has his own agenda which doesn’t involve playing hero to a curvy second-grade teacher and babysitting her panty-puking puppy. He's got other problems like fiery explosions, a missing person...and a parade of jerks Sunny insists on dating. Could Sunny’s Mr. Right be right under her nose? Even though Jake is gorgeous, likes her dog, and has abs she can crack an egg on, can she really go out with him if he’s just murdered her next door neighbor? Women of all ages will enjoy this tale of humorous, women's fiction that also has a touch of cozy mystery in this small town love story.

Catch of the Day


Kristan Higgins - 2007
    Combine ingredients with one adorable puppy, add a strong but silent lobsterman with a hidden heart of gold and watch the sparks fly.

Stealing Kisses With a King (Kings of Carolina #3)


Sylvie Stewart - 2020
    In other words, it’s just another day working for Prince Malcolm.ALICE:Give me a problem and I’ll fix it. That’s what I do. The trick is remaining calm and preparing oneself for any eventuality. But even I failed to anticipate my former boss, Malcolm, crossing an ocean to bribe me for my help. He insists I’m the only one who can fix his problem, but I had an excellent reason for leaving that job in the first place and putting an ocean between us. It’s hard to keep the big picture in mind when you’re secretly in love with your boss. And even harder when he’s about to be crowned a king.MALCOLM:Being a prince certainly has its perks: money, cars, women, and a license to do just about anything I please. But since my assistant, Alice, resigned out of the blue, I’ve been unable to find my footing and have admittedly been a bit cranky. When a problem arises calling for the utmost discretion, it’s clear Alice is the only woman for the job. But she’s less than thrilled at being coerced into returning, and she’s doing her best to make me pay for it. With the clock ticking down to my coronation, I’m putting all my trust in her to see me through. But the stakes are getting higher because Alice is beginning to look more like my future than even the throne I was born to take.

Always the Last to Know


Crystal Bowling - 2009
    It's just that things keep getting in the way, like a sex-crazed coworker, an annoying brother-of-the-bride, and a handsome and horribly charming friend posing as the Best Man. As it turns out, Jess might just be the last one to know everything, including the workings of her own heart.