Book picks similar to
Plucking the Pearl by Afton Locke


romance
historical
interracial
interracial-romance

Asira Awakens


Chevelle Allen - 2017
    Mary University in Detroit, Deborah Brooks is smart, beautiful and focused. Deep within the archives, she cares for letters, diaries, books and family records, each telling stories of lives lived long ago. Yet nothing excites her more than making new discoveries among the storied collections. When the university receives the Dubois Collection anonymously- along with a multi-million dollar gift to protect it- Deborah is more than intrigued to discover its secrets. Little prepares her for an unexpected visit from the donor- the sexy Englishman Ben Stewart. He is relentless, charming and far more than she imagines. He shatters everything she thought she knew... about herself. Together they unravel the secrets of the Dubois Collection, finding love and mounting danger along the way. But it’s Ben’s utterance of one word - awaken- that triggers a flurry of unrelenting visions she can’t escape. Deborah soon learns the visions are key to unraveling the mystery that binds her to Ben. Can they save each other or will he lead to her ultimate demise?

Catalyst


Elisabeth - 2018
    I prayed to the gods for his survival, but grains of dirt sifting through my fingers was the only answer I got. Everything changed from that day forward, and my life would only be turned upside down even more. Achilles Her fingers sunk into the earth, and I felt them on me. I had become one with the earth, dead to the world, snatched away from Alana. I was no longer Achilles, the great warrior who was in love with a slave. I was just a mere man willing to search the ends of the earth until we were reunited. Catalyst is the first book in the Reincarnation Series by Elisabeth and King Ellie. Catalyst is a standalone.

Bad Boy's Baby


Sosie Frost - 2015
    Trouble-maker. Baby-maker? Star professional quarterback Jack Carson has the worst reputation in the league. He’s arrogant and gorgeous, and if he’s not in bed with a new woman, he’s sleeping off the party in a jail cell. But now he’s gotten in trouble too many times and needs my help to protect his career. As his publicist, I’ve hidden his dirty exploits and silenced the sexy rumors…but I missed the hottest scandal of the year. Apparently, Jack and I are dating. When the trouble-maker lies to the league and claims we’re in a committed relationship, he jeopardizes both our jobs. I can’t trust the tattooed bad boy, but now I’m stuck defending him. I have to make him seem respectable—no matter what. But his shameful reputation isn’t fixed with a few photos of us on a date. With the league determined to expel him for bad-behavior, Jack has only one option to convince them he’s wholesome, dependable, and responsible. Jack Carson wants to start a family. And he’s chosen me to give him the baby. This super steamy, bad boy romance is a standalone with no cliffhangers and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. For a limited time only, HARD is also included with this novel. HARD is a bonus full-length, bad-boy Navy Seal romance. Enjoy!

Master of Desire


Kinley MacGregor - 2001
    The youngest daughter of an English lord at war, she is shaken by the arrival of a mysterious stranger to her father's castle. Could this breathtaking man be Emily's yearned-for lover? Indeed, Draven de Montague, Earl of Ravenswood, has come for Emily...but romance has nothing to do with it.In the Tender Embrace of an Enemy...Draven would never have entered the home of his most hated adversary had not the King himself ordered him to take in his foe's daughter for a year to forge bonds of peace between their two feuding houses. Worse still, here is a lass whose exquisite loveliness could tempt Draven to betray his sworn vow never to let another close to his heart. Emily knows the searing heat of her passion could burn down the defenses of this proud warrior. But will the surrender of the sweet nectar of his lips and his bold, sensuous caress ignite a blaze so hot it consumes them both?

Rowan


Imani King - 2015
    I got the job as a professional muralist for New York’s wealthiest citizens, and I had the perfect relationship with a man I wanted to start a family with. Five years later, I’m single, barely employed, and thousands of dollars in debt to New York’s best infertility treatment centre. It turns out the only thing I couldn’t control was my body -- it betrayed me and left me with a diagnosis of untreatable, inexplicable, devastating -- infertility.When a cowboy billionaire appears out of the blue, offering an exorbitant amount of money for a job I can complete in a month, there’s no question that I’m hopping on a plane to New Mexico. It’s the perfect opportunity -- to forget the family I’ll never have.But when the limo rolls up to Rowan Corbett’s estate in the middle of nowhere, I know that there’s one more thing I won’t be able to control. With thick black hair, sapphire eyes, and a jawline that could cut steel, Rowan looks like he just stepped out of a wild west book from fifty years ago. As the weeks go by … I start to wonder, can love be the cure I’m looking for? Rowan is a standalone romance with an HEA.

Bone Deep


Bonnie Dee - 2005
    Later she discovers him hiding in her hayloft, escaped from virtual imprisonment since childhood by the carnival's evil owner. She shelters him on her farm, fighting a powerful sexual attraction while learning about his mysterious past and gentle nature. When a local child goes missing, Tom uses his psychic gifts to locate her, but his assistance in the case doesn't allay the town's mistrust of such an exotic stranger in their midst. Small-town prejudice tears the lovers apart and a very real threat from carnival owner Art Reed endangers them. Can they rise above obstacles of fear and hate to create the family both have always craved?

Project Duchess


Sabrina Jeffries - 2019
    . . and in the process find that love just might conquer all . . . A series of stepfathers and a difficult childhood have left Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt, with a guarded heart, enviable wealth, and the undeserved reputation of a rogue. Grey’s focus on expanding his dukedom allows him little time to find a wife. But when his mother is widowed yet again and he meets the charmingly unconventional woman managing his stepfather’s funeral, he’s shocked to discover how much they have in common. Still, Grey isn’t interested in love, no matter how pretty, or delightfully outspoken, the lady . . . Beatrice Wolfe gave up on romance long ago, and the arrogant Duke of Greycourt with his rakish reputation isn’t exactly changing her mind. Then Grey agrees to assist his grief-stricken mother with her latest “project”: schooling spirited, unfashionable Beatrice for her debut. Now that Beatrice is seeing through Grey’s charms to his wounded heart, she’s having trouble keeping him at arm’s length. But once Grey starts digging into her family’s secrets, she must decide whether her loyalties lie with her family . . . or with the man whose lessons capture her heart . . .

Laird of the Mist


Paula Quinn - 2007
    When raiders strike, she rushes into the fray...and is lucky when a mysterious Highlander shields her from a deadly blow. Swept onto his stallion, she soon discovers that her rescuer is her clan's most hated enemy: Callum MacGregor, the man they call The Devil. Yet she cannot ignore his achingly tender touch or the way his fiery gaze leaves her breathless. POSSESSING HER WOULD BE HIS PLEASURE Callum MacGregor has taken many Campbell lives, but he's never saved one--until now. Mesmerized by this spirited lass, he wants her by his side, even if it means holding her for ransom. As his fingers graze her sumptuous curves and tangle in her unruly tresses, Callum realizes Kate Campbell is his most dangerous foe of all. For he can't make love to her without betraying his kinsmen and his honor...and surrendering his heart forever.

Twice a Rake


Catherine Gayle - 2011
    . .When Aurora Hyatt loses her journal in Hyde Park, her ruin is a foregone conclusion. After all, if anyone discovers her writings, they'll find scandalous fantasies involving the newest rake in Town alongside entirely-too-candid thoughts about her typical dreary suitors. Aurora will either be forced into a loveless marriage with the first nodcock to make an offer, or she'll be assigned a permanent position on the shelf. Oh, dear good Lord. What catastrophe will God smote down upon her next?If Niles Thornton, Baron Quinton, desires to maintain any semblance of his current lifestyle, he must fulfill the requirements his grandfather has set for him. First and foremost: he must marry and begin filling his nursery within the year. When he is nearly barreled over by a racing curricle and a journal flies out to land at his feet, his troubles are over. Inside the journals pages, Quin discovers a scandal waiting to happen. Surely a young lady who would write such brazen things in a journal (and then dare to lose it) must recognize the necessity of a hasty marriage, even if the gentleman making the offer is rather less-than-honorable.In a drunken haze, Quin kisses Aurora on a crowded ballroom floor, necessitating their immediate marriage. Quin's troubles are only beginning, however, as Aurora's writings are soon the focus of both gossip rags and drawing room conversation. When word arrives of an even greater scandal following in his wife's wake, will he prove himself a drunken abuser like his father, or will he become the loving husband of Aurora's fantasies?

The Awakening of Ivy Leavold


Sierra Simone - 2015
    Handsome and possessive, it’s not long before Ivy falls for him. But Mr. Markham has dark secrets, secrets that may put Ivy in danger...I am afraid...As Ivy unravels the mystery surrounding her cousin’s death, she falls deeper and deeper in love with Julian, who opens her body and her mind to his indomitable will. But even as he draws pleasure and desire from her night after night, Ivy can’t shake the feeling that their passionate affair may end in violence…And I'm completely his.***The Awakening of Ivy Leavold is the first book in the Markham Hall Trilogy. It is 40,000 words. ***For Mature Audiences only**

Mistress to the Beast


Eve Vaughn - 2008
    It's the place they lovingly call home. When a powerful property development company stoops to barely legal tactics to force them to sell, Lila's outrage spurs her straight to the source to fight the injustice. A serious accident left Hunter Jamison's body scarred. A bitter split from his latest lover has left the former playboy without faith in the female sex. Yet, confronted with Lila's fiery beauty, he finds himself offering her a deal: If she'll be his mistress for three months, he'll allow her father to keep the shop. A simple agreement? Hardly. It's a battle of wills that flares into much more than either of them bargained for-a consuming passion that could heal Hunter's soul-deep scars-or inflict new ones. Warning: This title contains blackmail, vehicular sex, angry sex, light bondage and graphic language.

Ask For It


Sylvia Day - 2006
    It’s been years since she jilted him for another man, but that only means there’s a lot to catch up on, a lot to make up for, and that he’s going to enjoy every sweet moment.… The same drive and passion that sent her into another man’s arms is what brings Elizabeth back to Marcus. Her attraction to him is the one thing she fears, but she’s run out of options. Resisting is impossible. But does she have the courage to surrender everything?©2012 Sylvia Day (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Pursuing Zarah


Jennifer Cole - 2009
    What surprises him is his best friend Lane Dundas also has his sights set on the voluptuous dark-skinned woman with eyes of gold.Jack is willing to lay everything on the line to win Zarah’s affections, even when that means sharing her with Lane. Yet every step of the way he is met with resistance. No matter what he says or does, her past prevents her from believing the sincerity of his attraction.Zarah Elliott is plump, uncomfortable in her own skin, and a realist who has come to grips with living out the rest of her days alone and celibate. Until she comes face-to-face with the man of her dreams -- make that men of her dreams. Is it wrong for a woman to take pleasure in mind blowing sex in the arms of a handsome stranger or two, without allowing emotions to get in the way? Zarah doesn’t think so. Men have been engaging in casual, no-strings sex to sate their physical needs since the dawn of time. Why can’t she?

Mistress of Pleasure


Delilah Marvelle - 2008
    Her only desire in life is to remain independent, free from men and the shackles of marriage. But when Maybelle lays eyes on Edmund Worthington, the Duke of Rutherford, at a soir e, and hears of his scandalous reputation, she decides he's the perfect person for her to have a tryst with no strings attached.IT MUST BE GIVEN.Unbridled passion has again muddied Edmund Worthington's family name. After his very public dalliance with the strikingly beautiful and sensual Maybelle, his mother insists he marry her. But much to the Duke's surprise, Maybelle scoffs at his proposal. Never has he encountered such a brazen—and maddeningly irresistible—woman. But when Maybelle's grandmother falls ill, forcing Maybelle to take over the operation of her school, Edmund devises a plan to make her his. He enrolls in the school, where no one other than Maybelle must give him expert lessons in carnal pleasure.

Sweet Ultimatum


Naima Simone - 2009
    Haunted by the erotic memories of the man she once loved and abandoned, Caitlin is unprepared to come face-to-face with Selig and the hunger resurrected under his golden gaze. Even as her body craves his touch, she denies him, realizing her reasons for terminating their relationship so long ago are as valid now as they were then. Six years have passed since Selig left New Eden, Washington, disillusioned and bitter after Caitlin’s cold denial of him and his love. Now he’s returned, demanding retribution for her cruel rejection. The payment—her body.