Book picks similar to
Unsuitable by Doreen Owens Malek
romance
fiction
contemporary-romance
wounded-hero
Saved by the Cowboy
A.J. Pine - 2018
Now he has everything he needs right here in Oak Bluff, California—his job, his dog, and a quiet ranching town best explored on the back of a horse. Olivia Belle believes in fairy tales—just not for herself. So when her boyfriend drops to one knee at his sister's wedding with a proposal that is more business than romance, she hightails it out of San Francisco in search of the only evidence she knows that true love exists—her grandparents' lost love letters from fifty years ago. When Olivia speeds into his town like a modern-day Cinderella in her ball gown and glass slippers, Cash's careful existence is finally thrown for a loop. Maybe the answer Olivia's looking for is in Oak Bluff, but the life she ran from is more than 200 miles away. As for Cash . . . he knows a thing or two about being left on bended knee. Olivia Belle could be his happily ever after . . . if this runaway bridesmaid doesn't run off with his heart.
First Class to New York
A.J. Harmon - 2012
Trying to escape the oppressive loss and hopelessness of a life without him, Janie sets off on the adventure she has dreamed about since she was a little girl. Exploring New York City, she secretly hopes that this landmark event will free her from her grief and unlock a future as wonderful as the life she had lost with Robert’s passing.After a series of embarrassing encounters with a man in a dark grey suit during the flight, Janie wonders if this trip might be more than she bargained for. At 42, she is much too young to spend the rest of her days as a lonely widow, but is resolved to the fact that, like lightning, a love like that of her first marriage rarely strikes twice.When she accepts his invitation to dinner that evening, Janie is terrified at the realization that she’s actually attracted to him. The handsome and wealthy Matt Lathem is sexy as hell, but, as Janie comes to realize, has baggage of his own. Can they help to heal each other in time to realize that a second chance at love is within their grasp?‘First Class to New York’ is a contemporary, adult romance novel
The Lady and the Law
Joann Baker - 2012
Dancing around a problem didn’t solve anything—it only made your feet hurt. And she’d had enough hurt to last a lifetime. Sheriff J.C. Duvall hadn’t just been bitten by love once, he’d been chewed up and spit out. Now the by-the-book lawman wanted only to raise his daughter and live a quiet, peaceful life in the little town of Utopia County, Wyoming. But Emmaline’s constant shenanigans threaten his peaceful existence. Even if they can find a way to put their pasts behind them, can the solitary lawman and the fiery lawyer overcome their differences and build a future together? EXCERPT: “Emmaline, why don’t you just run along and –” “Be a good little female.” The words pelleted J.C.’s senses like shards of ice against his skin. For such a fiery little thing, she sure could be cool. Dealing with Emmaline was like holding a stick of dynamite with a lit fuse, you had to time the throw just right. He rubbed a weary hand over his day old stubble, forcing himself to maintain a calm he was far from feeling. “I was going to say and we’ll forget this little incident ever happened.” “How noble of you.” Double shit. How could one tiny little woman make a man feel so inadequate with just a few words? Must be the lawyer in her. That reminder J.C. of Emmaline’s one weakness. Everyone knew she was forever losing track of time. “Aren’t you needed at your office on some case or another?” She pulled back the sleeve of her pink blouse and glanced at her watch. “Holy wa-ter. I’m going to be late for court.” She took off at a dead run, her long blonde curls fly-ing behind her. “That girl is going to drive this town bonkers if she continues to carry on the way she has for the last few months.” Clive shook his white head. “She certainly is, umm, unique.” J.C. watched until Emmaline rounded the corner then turned back to Clive. “She’s crazy as a lunatic,” Clive muttered. “Running around all over town putting her nose into things that don’t concern her.” “Now Clive, I wouldn’t exactly say that Utopia County’s top attorney is ready for the loony bin.” J.C. glanced toward the patrol car. He guessed the girls were getting pret-ty impatient now that the jig was up. “Hmmph.” Clive waved a dismissive hand. “What that girl needs is a husband to rein her in.” He gave J.C. a measuring look. “Don’t look at me.” J.C. turned toward the car. He wouldn’t let himself examine too closely the rush he felt at the thought of being the man to try and control Emmaline Conway. He might as well stick his heart in a meat grinder. Been there. Done that. Never again.
Love like You've Never Been Hurt
S.J. McCoy - 2013
After losing her parents so young and later suffering a disastrous marriage, she believes that love only ever leads to pain and loss. When she meets Jack Benson, the business partner of her childhood friend Pete, she sees everything she used to long for in a man; tall, dark, and drop dead gorgeous! Despite their undeniable attraction, Emma is too scared to risk her heart, especially on a man so much like her ex - sexy, smart, funny, successful and no doubt the same kind of cheat! When events lead them both to Summer Lake for the summer, will Jack be able to persuade her that he's nothing like her ex in all the ways that really matter? That the love she used to dream of isn't a little girl's fantasy, but a reality they can share if she can get past her fear and learn to trust? This book is intended for adult readers 18+
Cinderella in Overalls
Carol Grace - 1992
She takes a job in South America to help other farmers and to satisfy her heart's longing for the land. But Catherine finds a willing spirit and a degree in agriculture aren't enough. She needs a truck to get the produce to town which means asking for a loan from the one man she doesn't want to see - banker Josh Bentley. Josh might seem all business, but he too has a dream. He's come to South America to find a secret treasure hidden from the world for ages. Meeting a woman like Catherine was not in his plans. A modern-day Cinderella she was disguised as a local woman living in a remote village. He soon knew she was the promise of love and the home he'd never had. If only he could convince her to trust him...A sample from CINDERELLA IN OVERALLS"At midnight I turn into a farmer again," she warned him."Like Cinderella," he said.His face was very close to hers and she realized if she lifted her face to his and he kissed her, no one would know or care. She closed her eyes and felt her spine tingle in anticipation."Don't run away," he said. "You might lose a glass slipper." She knew she'd better run. And fast. She had a lot more to lose than that.Note to readers. January 2012 - Typos and goofs all gone! Take another look at this best-seller.
Father Found
Judith Arnold - 1997
Never did he expect to find the unplanned result of that fling - a healthy, wailing baby named Samantha - strapped into a car seat on his back porch, along with a suitcase full of diapers and infant apparel and a note informing Jamie that he’s her father.Maybe he is and maybe he isn’t. But first things first. He’s never fed a baby or changed a diaper in his life. He doesn’t own a crib or a stroller. In a panic, he phones the nearest hospital, where neonatal nurse Allison Winslow takes his call and tells him about a class she teaches called the Daddy School.Classes on how to be a dad are exactly what Jamie needs. But when he attends his first class and sees the tall, earnest, amazingly beautiful and even more amazingly competent Allison, he realizes that he might just need more from her than her lectures on how to hold a baby.Jamie’s efforts to be a father to this precious baby touch Allison. His sense of humor amuses her. His striking good looks turn her on. But how can she trust the sort of guy who’d sleep with a stranger on vacation, without giving a thought to the consequences? How can she give her heart to such a reckless man?
On My Knees
C.J. Thomas - 2016
If she would have seen the dangers lurking around the corner just waiting, she never would have spent the hundreds of thousands of dollars. And when her life is threatened, she has to make the decision of a lifetime—die, or repay the rightful owner. If she decides to live, she will need a way to get the money. And Kendra might just have the quick solution she needs. However, becoming a highly paid escort wasn’t exactly how she saw her future. And when her male suiter is none other than billionaire film maker, Nash Brooks, who also happens to be a member of the exclusive L.A. night club, MINT, Alex might have entered a world she can’t escape. Mature audience only. 18+ This box set also includes the full-length novel, Heat, for your continued enjoyment.
Perfect Touch
Elizabeth Lowell - 2015
Her sophisticated, comfortable life in San Francisco is light years away from the poverty of her family’s dairy farm, and Sam will do whatever it takes to keep her business strong. A dedicated urban career woman focused on her work, she doesn’t have time or energy for a family or distracting romantic entanglements.Jay Vermillion recently inherited Vermillion Sky, a working ranch near Wyoming’s breathtaking Grand Teton Mountains—and the estates of the rich and restless. While he was fighting in two wars, his father tried to keep the homestead running, until illness stole his fight and then his life. Jay’s determined to restore Vermillion Sky, but first he’s got to settle a vicious battle with his former stepmother over some of his late father’s paintings. The last thing on his mind is a finding a wife and creating a sixth generation of Vermillions. When Jay hires Sam to handle his father’s artwork, it’s love at first sight—a mutually inconvenient attraction that is soon complicated by a double murder at the edge of the ranch and a potential betrayal even closer to home. Working together to unmask a murderer, Sam and Jay try to fight the intense heat between them. Then the killer targets Sam. And suddenly, Jay, the war-weary soldier, finds something he’s once again willing to die for . . .
Hot Mess
Emily Goodwin - 2017
Forget about dating--nobody's got time for that. Even if love hadn't left me jaded, I'm not settling for anything less than perfect this time around.Lucky for me, the perfect man just happens to work in my office. But there's just one small problem: he's my boss, and is totally off limits. But hey, if it's meant to be, it'll find a way, right?Then a night out with friends turns into a night in with the walking-talking bad boy cliche of a bartender. It's just one night. No harm, no foul, right?Except when the hot bartender turns out to be my boss's trouble-making brother, who wants more than just one night with me. The more I resist the spark between us, the more I find myself wanting him too. Which puts me in the middle of what could be the biggest sibling rivalry of the century.Life is messy.And love?Well, love is even messier.
No More Secrets
Lucy Score - 2019
He just doesn't know what to do with this one. In the small town of Blue Moon Bend, where everybody is a matchmaker, Carter wants to be left alone to tend the family farm. After returning from Afghanistan with scars, his only goal is recovery. He doesn't need any distractions, and definitely not one with silver-blonde hair and lips that beg to be kissed. Summer Lentz is a journalist from the city sent to interview Carter and his family. She's out of place in the small town, with her designer wardrobe and workaholic lifestyle. She asks too many questions and doesn't take no for an answer, threatening to destroy the peace and balance that Carter has been working towards. She thwarts every attempt Carter makes to retreat back inside himself, somehow bringing him closer to being whole again. Summer has secrets of her own, but she never planned to open up to anyone - let alone the scowling, secretive farm owner whose story she's after. But as she gets drawn into the community, she starts to realize that she can't stay closed off forever. And what's more, she doesn't want to. As Carter and Summer grow closer, will they be able to push past the secrets that are holding both of them back?
Nothing Stays In Vegas
Elena Aitken - 2011
After all, how else could she ignore the fact that her husband is never home, her son barely knows him and the last time she had sex, well, who can remember? With her life crumbling, the last thing she wants to do is go on a trip, especially back to Vegas; a city full of glitz, excess, and Leo, the man she's spent the last six years trying to forget. But when her best friend announces she's getting married, Lexi doesn't have a choice. Besides, it's ridiculous to avoid an entire city because of one guy. Even if he is the father of your child.Face to face with memories of the past and the gorgeous man who started it all, Lexi can no longer deny the truth to anyone, especially Leo. But honesty will come at a price, and Lexi must decide if she's wiling to take that risk. And what exactly will she tell her husband?Because as she now knows, NOTHING STAYS IN VEGAS.
Jenna's Cowboy
Sharon Gillenwater - 2010
A partner on her father's successful ranch, she is surrounded by family and friends. But she never expected to see Nate Langley back in town—the first guy she ever noticed, the one her father sent away all those years ago.And she never thought the attraction they felt would be as strong as ever.Jenna's cowboy has some healing of his own to do, though, after two tours of duty in the armed forces. With the help of good friends, strong faith, and a loving family, he hopes to put the horrors of the past behind him—and become the man Jenna deserves.
Coming Up Roses
Staci Hart - 2019
Maybe it’s the day-to-day grind. Maybe it’s that client who never knows what they want, or the guy who always cooks fish in the microwave.But not me. I love every corner of the Longbourne Flower Shop, every flower, every petal, every stem. I love the greenhouse, and I love Mrs. Bennet, my boss. I love creating, and I love being a florist. I don’t hate anything at all.Except for Luke Bennet.The Bennet brothers have come home to help their mom save the flower shop, and Luke is at the helm. His smile tells a tale of lust, loose and easy. He moves with the grace of a predator, feral and wild. A thing unbridled, without rules or constraint. When he comes home to save Longbourne, I almost can’t be mad at him. Almost.He doesn’t remember that night I’ll never forget. That kiss, touched with whiskey and fire. It branded me like a red-hot iron. But it meant nothing to him.Everyone hates part of their job, and I hate Luke Bennet.Because if I don’t, I’ll fall in love with him.
Kissed by a Cowboy
Lacy Williams - 2014
She thinks she’s ready for this homecoming. She’s spent years escaping her perpetual shyness and being Katie Michaels’ tag-along friend, but being back in her hometown brings back a lot of old memories, especially when she is faced with the cowboy she never forgot — Katie’s older brother, Maddox. Twelve years ago, Maddox Michaels was supposed to be somebody. He had everything. A football scholarship. A Division I team scouting him. Maybe even a chance at the pros. Now, he’s a burned-out cowboy working day and night to stay ahead of his brother’s medical bills and keep their family farm from going bankrupt. And trying to be a father-figure for his niece, Olivia. When Haley and Olivia start spending time together, Maddox can’t help remembering those dreams that died alongside his sister. Will being with Haley open his heart to new dreams?
Ryan's Love
C.A. Harms - 2015
The second hardest thing would be watching my twelve-year-old daughter fall to her knees as they lowered her mother into the ground to rest. A heart-wrenching vision that will forever be etched in my mind. Claire was my best friend—she had been since we were barely old enough to talk. I always knew, one day, I would marry her. I think I may have even told her that a few times while we were growing up. Never did I think I would lose her so suddenly. I knew at that moment… Our life would never be the same again…