Book picks similar to
The Marker (The Bridge, #1) by Ann Howes
first-reads
romance
mafia
dnf
Ropes of Lies
Kathy Noumi - 2018
Enemies. A disaster waiting to happen.Call it whatever you want. But I couldn't resist him.The sound of his voice sent shivers down my spine.And the slightest touch drove me to the edge of insanity.His entire being lit a fire inside me.Jameson was the most sinful addiction. The only problem?Our dirty secret could ruin everything I worked for. Jameson She forfeited. Walked away. Left me the victor without the spoils. Without her. Five years ago, I gave her everything and came up empty-handed. She hates me, but I don't give a shit. This little tease could loathe me, curse me out, go after my clients, but I'd never let her win. My only confession? I don't hate her at all.I craved her. Needed her back in my bed. Hell...tied up would be better. Now ask me which rules I'd break to win this game? All of them.NOTE: Ropes of Lies is a standalone novel with a complete ending. NO Cliffhanger. Each book in the Dirty Liars series will feature a new couple and bring to light their unique story's. Some characters make cameo appearances in the other novels.
Playing to Win (The Complete Series Box Set)
Alix Nichols - 2018
3 passionate women who fall under their spell. 3 hot and tender love stories.BOOK 1: PLAYING WITH FIREEmbroiderer Uma is all kinds of wrong for single dad Zach.She’s his son’s nanny, still chaste at 23... and falling for him, hard and fast. In short, she’s completely off-limits. And just as completely irresistible. BOOK 2: PLAYING FOR KEEPSEx-player Isabelle takes a job as a publicist for a Paris water-polo team.That means she must face amnesiac coach Lucas, the jerk who broke her heart six years ago. But Lucas is a brand-new man after his head trauma. He has no idea why Isabelle is avoiding him — or why he is so drawn to her. BOOK 3: PLAYING DIRTYIn his pimply teens, Julien was led on, played and publicly humiliated by Noemi.Now a heartthrob and a sports star, he craves revenge. Even as he still craves Noemi.If you like single dad romances, revenge plots filled with angst and passion, and heartwarming second chance novels, you’ll love the PLAYING TO WIN series!
A Moment Too Late
Rachael Brownell - 2021
Was drawn to him in a way I’d never been drawn to a man before. He was everything I wanted. The man I dreamed about at night and looked for everywhere I turned just for a glimpse of his perfection.But I couldn’t have him.It was against the rules. Forbidden.He was my best friend’s boyfriend. I would never do that to her.Then she died.Looking at him became painful, bringing back memories of the reason we couldn’t be together. The reason I never pursued him.I had to move on and vowed never to look back in an attempt to escape him and the devastation in my heart.Yet here I stand, five years later, staring into the eyes of the man I still want. In the place I swore I’d never return to. With memories assaulting me from every angle.He’s still the picture of perfection in my eyes, making our attraction even more dangerous than it once was.The only difference... No one is standing in our way this time.
Unleashed
Caitlin Crews - 2018
When straitlaced American professor Margot Cavendish gets snowed in while studying Icelandic sex culture, Thor challenges her inhibitions with some very hands-on research—soon she’s exploring every inch of his delicious body. It’s only one night of passion, but when the snowstorm clears they’re left aching for more…“Dare is Harlequin’s hottest line yet. Every book should come with a free fan. I dare you to try them!” —Tiffany Reisz, international bestselling author
Forged in Desire
Brenda Jackson - 2017
Bold enough to love her. When good girl Margo Connelly becomes Lamar "Striker" Jennings's latest assignment, she knows she's in trouble. And not just because he's been hired to protect her from an underworld criminal. The reformed bad boy's appeal is breaching all her defenses, and as the threats against her increase, Margo isn't sure which is more dangerous: the gangster targeting her, or the far too alluring protector tempting her to let loose. Though Striker's now living on the right side of the law, he's convinced his troubled past keeps Margo out of his league. But physical chemistry explodes into full-blown passion when they go on the run together. Surrendering to desire could be a deadly distraction—or finally prove that he's the only man qualified to keep her safe, and win her love.
Arrange Me
Katy Regnery - 2019
and I'm sick of games. Sick of the Friday night bar-scene-cum-meat-market. Sick of the boy-girl, man-woman, mars-venus, flirtation-without-expectation, game-playing nonsense. Sick of awful dates and one-night stands, booty calls and guys who don’t call back, mixed messages or NO messages and—and—and...I'm sick of all of it. I’m done. I just can't do it anymore. It's too hard, and worse: little by little, it's making me hard. It's breaking my heart. What DO I want? That's easy. I want a house in suburbia with a white picket fence. I want babies to buckle into a minivan. But most of all, I want to be married. I want a husband. So I've made an important decision: I'm making my escape from the dating world and the single life. I've filled out my application on ArrangeMe.com and I'm putting my fate into the hands of experts. Is it a little scary? Sure. I mean, I have no idea who I'll end up with. After all, I'm planning to marry a complete stranger. But between you and me? I can't wait. Being arranged can't possibly be worse than being single. Can it?
All the F*cks I Cannot Give
Michael Carlon - 2017
Three weeks before Christmas, New York bound mild mannered Marketing Consultant Kelly Carson gets fired from his job over the telephone while sitting in an airline lounge in the Los Angeles Airport. Terri Flynn, a fiery and controversial starlet who is running away to New York after walking off the set of her latest feature film, overhears Kelly’s unceremonious firing and becomes hell bent on transforming him from the Clark Kent he is into the Superman the impulsive actress feels he’s destined to become. After their flight to New York is cancelled, Kelly and Terri take a last-minute jaunt to Hawaii, putting in motion a series of hilarious events and misfortunes that shake both of their worlds to the core, but not always for the better. From romps on the beach and overindulging on edibles to swinger’s parties and diverted flights, Michael Carlon’s fifth novel, All the F*cks I Cannot Give, will have you belly laughing on every single page - and maybe even wishing you were in Kelly Carson’s shoes for just one day.
Death in the Mind's Eye
Rick Acker - 2016
But his stellar reputation and faith are put to the test when he agrees to defend Dr. Johanna Anderson, a brilliant and beautiful psychologist. Jo is accused of failing to prevent the death of Seth Bell, a senator’s son she was treating with a revolutionary technology-assisted therapy called the Mind’s Eye. The controversial technique provides insights into what patients are thinking and feeling and determines whether they’re telling the truth—so why didn’t it detect that Seth was suicidal?As the case unfolds, a shadowy firm, Horizon Finance, sees a golden opportunity to profit by seizing the Mind’s Eye and auctioning it to intelligence services around the world. And Horizon will stop at nothing—not even murder—to succeed. As the danger escalates, Mike and Jo feel the heat of a mutual attraction. But when Mike’s loyal paralegal, Val, unearths evidence that could blow the case apart, Mike realizes he stands to lose much more than just a verdict.
Only the Pretty Lies
Rebekah Crane - 2021
It doesn’t in Amoris Westmore’s family either. Daughter of a massage therapist and a pothead artist, inheritor of her grandmother’s vinyl collection, and blissfully entering her senior year in high school, Amoris never wants to leave her progressive hometown. Why should she?Everything changes when Jamison Rush moves in next door. Jamison was Amoris’s first crush, and their last goodbye still stings. But Jamison stirs more than bittersweet memories. One of the few Black students in Alder Creek, Jamison sees Amoris’s idyllic town through different eyes. He encourages Amoris to look a little closer, too. When Jamison discovers a racist mural at Alder Creek High, Amoris’s worldview is turned upside down.Now Amoris must decide where she stands and whom she stands by, threatening her love for the boy who stole her heart years ago. Maybe Alder Creek isn’t the town Amoris thinks it is. She’s certainly no longer the girl she used to be.
Heat
Holly S. Roberts - 2016
Heat turns to sizzle and hearts combust when they find themselves wanting more than a few hot nights between cool sheets. After a shoulder injury ends her respectable career as a police officer, Mak also known as Madison Abigail Kinlock turns to the seedy world of private investigations by default. Now her job consists of cheating douchebags and baby daddies dodging child support. Things can’t get much worse. Moon controls Arizona’s largest crime syndicate. His bronze skin and blue eyes leave a girl breathless even when that girl knows he’s bad news. Moon doesn’t give a flying fig what Mak thinks; he wants her—ex-cop, bad attitude, and all. How does she resist the dark side when her body craves Moon’s searing touch? Things only get hotter in Phoenix when Mak finds herself in a deadly situation and must turn to Moon for help. He’ll help but there’s a price.
The Complete Swanson Court Trilogy: Drawn to You - Addicted to You - Lost in You
Serena Grey - 2018
I pretended to be someone else. Now, he's found me. And he's determined to make me pay for deceiving him. But how can I resist when the payment he demands is so, so sweet? On the night she discovers her ex's engagement, Rachel meets Landon, the sexiest man she's ever seen, and he mistakes her for a hooker. The thing is, he's so sexy...what harm can there be in losing herself in his touch just for one night?Landon prefers his women beautiful and sophisticated, with no desire for commitment, so when his brother ignores his protests and sends him a hooker on his birthday, he's surprised by how willing he is to continue paying for her services. It should be easy, except she's no hooker, and she has no intention of letting him into her life.As the billionaire owner of Swanson Court Hotels, Landon is used to getting what he wants, and Rachel is not going to be an exception.This collection includes Drawn to You, Addicted to You, and Lost in You.
Someone Old
Lacy Williams - 2018
Instead, her groom splits just before they’re supposed to walk down the altar at her hometown bed & breakfast. Cue her old flame and college sweetheart Jax Morris—the man who walked away when things got serious between them. Seeing her ex-boyfriend is the last thing she needs... until she needs his help to track down her missing groom.Jax has it all. His dream of being a MLB pitcher kept him alive during a tragic childhood. Now he’s playing baseball for the Major Leagues, expected to be Rookie of the Year, and life is golden. Except for the one that got away. There’s still a Claire-shaped hole in his heart. He’s never forgotten the sweet, small town girl who was his first love. But Claire’s no runaway bride. She’s not interested in a second chance with him—and he can’t blame her. He wants redemption. He just isn’t sure he deserves it.Will Claire open her heart to Someone Old?Jilted in Sawyer Creek: Four couples. One crazy wedding weekend.
Theo
Raven Scott - 2020
A fierce bodyguard. A broken hero. Illya is as fragile as a flower. She’s been through enough. One more blow and she’d wither away. Her lips quiver when I come near her. They are desperate to kiss mine. I’d take all of her. Own her soul. Run my fingers over her scars. Her scars may be deep. But they’re not nearly as strong as my obsession to make her mine.
Bound To Be Dead (Cozy Mystery Bookshop, #3)
Tamra Baumann - 2021
While onstage and strapped to a giant bullseye, Sawyer’s magician father hurls knives at her, but she’s not the one who ends up dead. Her father’s ex is found lifeless backstage making her dad the number one suspect. The timer steadily counts down as Sawyer desperately searches for clues. She has to solve the crime before her boyfriend, Dylan, the sheriff, arrests her father. Meanwhile, her uncle is trying to steal her bookshop and inheritance while she fights to hang on to her mother’s legacy. With her book club pal’s help, can Sawyer find the real murderer, put her nasty uncle in his place, and salvage her relationship with Dylan without getting burned?
One Among Us
Paige Dearth - 2014
Eleven-year-old Maggie Clarke is an average suburban girl known for her intelligence and beauty. Suddenly, her life’s path is tragically altered when Maggie is ripped from her family and thrust into the horrific underworld of human sex trafficking. In captivity, Maggie watches over a young boy, who gives her a reason to live. Robbed of her innocence and freedom, Maggie does whatever it takes to survive. With the help of Detective Rae Harker, the Clarkes’ frantically search for their daughter. Haunted by his own demons, Detective Harker vows to find Maggie—dead or alive. Meanwhile on the vile streets of Philadelphia, a strange man approaches Maggie with a dangerous proposition, and she risks everything to break free of the network of unsavory characters that control her. Not even she can know how far she will go to get even with the people who ruined her life. Raw, edgy, and intense, One Among Us ultimately offers hope through Maggie, who grows stronger and more resourceful through her experiences. You’ll be on the edge of your seat, rooting for Maggie as she fights for her life.**WARNING**18+ Readers Only. Graphic content and subject matter.