Book picks similar to
Instant Heat by A.K. MacBride


contemporary-romance
romance
insta-love
tbr

A Disturbing Prospect


Elizabeth Barone
    I knew it was a bad idea, but with his dark hair, gentle eyes, and disturbing secrets, I was dying to unlock him. As much as I don’t want to believe it was him, he’s a killer, so what’s a little stalking? With a whole biker club at my back, normally all I’d have to do is say the word, but he just became their latest Prospect.I’ll just have to handle it myself.CliffAfter two decades in prison, I might as well be on another planet. Everything is different now, including me. I’ve fallen for the first woman I met, and I’ll do anything to prove to her that I’ve changed, too. There aren’t many prospects for a felon, so I have no choice but to take the first job I’m offered. Becoming a Prospect for my father’s MC comes with all kinds of strings, especially since I’m the one who killed him.And now, thanks to Olivia, I’ve got one more body to bury.A Disturbing Prospect is the first book in the River Reapers MC series, a dark romance with a body count. Some content may be disturbing to some readers.

Hot Summer Lovin'


Ali Parker - 2019
    I’m looking for my next score. I’m the guy your father warned you about. But attraction ignores common sense. I'm straight up trouble. Even when I’m trying to escape it, it finds me. But this sinfully beautiful new girl in town is after a summer fling. If she knew I robbed banks in my spare time, she might run the other way. As she should, if she knew what was good for her. But lucky for me, she’s only focused on one thing. Our budding love affair. It’s a distraction I can’t afford. Life hasn’t ever been easy for me, but I make it bend to my will. Just like I’d like to make this new woman do. Best part of it all? She ends up with my baby. Worst part? She keeps it a secret. But us thieves have a way of finding these out. Looks like we might be up for more than just hot summer lovin’.

Diving into Love


Kat Bellemore - 2020
    She didn’t need another.When Bree Garrett’s former college roommate invites Bree to move to Starlight Ridge, a small tourist town on the Californian coast, she is all too happy to leave the deserts of New Mexico and the memories of her former life. She only has three conditions:One- No one can find out about her fear of water—totally embarrassing when you live next to the ocean.Two- No seafood. She can't stomach it. Yeah, she sees the irony of points number one and two.Three- No blind dates. The last thing she needs is a relationship. Her ex-fiancé would agree.Easier said than done when the only job available is at a surf shop and the owner, Caleb, is under the impression that Bree has applied to be a scuba instructor, and not a cashier, as she had intended.Bree tries to clear up the misunderstanding, but it’s hard when she seems to lose her voice—and her breath—every time Caleb is near. How could she not when he happens to be attractive, single and, as it turns out, also doesn't like seafood?Bree and Caleb struggle against the pull of the tide that seems determined to bring them together. But, despite their differences, maybe this is one battle that is okay to lose.

Hold Me Tight


Kate J. Blake - 2021
    He defended me when other boys started laughing at me. He fought with them, saying that it's not appropriate to talk to a lady like that. He was a real gentleman, even at the age of six. I fell in love right away.But I knew he'd never love me back. That's why I agreed to move abroad. Too bad, it didn't help me to forget about him.TylerI tried to kiss her, but she rejected me. I started dating other girls, but she never got jealous. I hated myself for not being able to stop loving her. Even after almost a year without her, I still missed her.My father always told me: you can have whatever the f*ck you want if you're powerful enough. It's time to check if it's true: today she finally comes back home. I'll do anything to make her love me back. And there's no way I'll ever let her go again.

Bullied, In His Arms (The In His Arms Series)


K.L. Donn - 2020
    Law Brentwood is more than a high school kid. He’s more than he appears. Determined and on track to achieve his goals, he’s brought to a stop the day he meets Nell Tucker. When every primal instinct in his DNA surfaces and suddenly his world shifts and now he has new goals to attain.Solitary and private.Nell Tucker was used to the rude names, the back handed insults and sometimes—violence. After the loss of her mother, Nell’s dad moved them to the city where things were different. The pace was quicker and fitting in wasn’t so easy.Until she met the new bad boy in school. The one with an intense stare that made her heart rate quicken.Law makes promises no high school boy should, yet, she can’t help but believe him. Until she catches him in a lie. They begin to pile on faster than he can back track and soon secrets are revealed that neither had counted on.Law is determined not to hurt Nell, so he does all he can to gain her forgiveness, but at what cost to her already fragile heart?

Date with a Devil


June Winters - 2019
    but you can never trust 'em. Valuable experience for someone who dates hockey players for a living. As the host of Date with a Devil, the young journalist is called into action when the captain of the Dallas Devils insults the team's few remaining fans. Austen's mission: save the athlete's beleaguered reputation. But Dane DeHardt doesn't give a damn about his reputation -- and his one-man war against the media threatens both their careers. Worse, "The Big D" can't keep his eyes off of her. Doesn't he know these dates aren't real? But DeHardt isn't the dimwit she's been led to believe -- and when the sinfully sexy hockey star isn't trying to talk the rookie reporter out of her clothes, he's pushing her to get to the bottom of a story she was ordered not to cover. Can Dane make Austen forget why she swore off jocks in the first place? Is she willing to risk her job because it's the right thing to do? Or is she being played by The Big D? Date with a Devil is a 75,000 word stand-alone hockey romance. Dual POV, no cheating. HEA always guaranteed, but the Dallas Devils drama continues in Book 2!

Signing Off With Love


Shaw Hart - 2020
    When she finds out that the animal shelter that she works at lost out on expanding because they were outbid on the land, she reacts impulsively. She decides to write a post under one of the articles announcing the news, just to vent some of her frustrations. She has no idea that one comment is about to change her whole life.Levi Radcliffe runs a very successful Logistics company. When he sees a negative comment under an article about his company’s new warehouses opening across the country, he’s intrigued. How could anyone be upset about that news? Messaging back to find out what their problem is proves to be the best decision of his life.One message.That’s all it takes to have Levi hooked. When their relationship moves off the screen to real life, will Levi be able to convince Paisley that he’s still the man she fell for online?*Warning: This love by letter book is a quick sweet read. Looking for a Hero who would do anything to keep his girl? Then this short read is for you!

Love & Other Chaos


Jackie Walker - 2020
    Brody’s my friend - just a friend. He’s also my autistic son’s favorite teacher.He’s as off limits as they come, no matter how drop dead gorgeous he is. Falling for him would be wrong. Resisting him though, is becoming pure torture. After being burned by men who can’t handle dating a single-mom of a special-needs child, I refuse to date anymore. Not until my son is grown. My plan is working fine until my trouble-making bestie presents me with a dare that I can’t resist. I’m a sucker for a good dare - especially when margaritas have been consumed. And she’s just dared me to plant a surprise kiss on Brody’s sexy lips, while she records it for a trending TikTok challenge video. But if I do this, it could change everything. My life is already pure chaos and maybe now is not the best time to shake things up even more. Is it worth risking our friendship and his important role in my son’s life for one kiss? What if he wants more? What if I do? Love & Other Chaos is a hilarious, steamy, friends-to-lovers romantic comedy featuring a drop dead gorgeous and seriously buff teacher with the hots for a single-mom of an autistic pre-teen son... who happens to be one of his students. This story also includes wise-cracking grandparents with zero respect for personal boundaries, swoon-worthy beach scenes, a jerky boss with no concept of personal space, nosey siblings and a foul-mouthed best friend who loves to instigate trouble. If you don't like sarcasm, steam, sexy-times, heroines who drink copious amounts of margaritas and laugh-a-minute dialogue, then this might not be the book for you. It’s a stand-alone novel with a happy ending, because cliffhangers will kill your margarita buzz.

Hot for Teacher


Whitley Cox - 2020
    Three sexy single ladies who drink a ton of wine every Saturday night, bitch about life, have each other's backs, are the ultimate mama bears, and hope to one day, just maybe find love again.This is Celeste's story ...Fifteen years ago, Celeste was eighteen, in love and on the honor roll.Then she got pregnant.Now, a widow and a single mom, she does her best to give her daughter, Sabrina, a good life.But something is missing in her world.Or someone.Back when he taught her math, Celeste didn't have a crush on Mr. Travis, but that doesn't mean she's not hot for teacher now or able to ignore her rampant fantasies.All Max wanted to do was buy was a pair of jeans. However, when he bumped into his former student, Celeste, he ended up with so much more.She's not a kid anymore and it's impossible for him to stay away from her. Even when he knows he should.But an angry student is out to wreak havoc for them all. One who hates Sabrina, and wants to cause problems for Max and Celeste.Like love, high school can be a battlefield, only neither of them knew just how dangerous it could be until the scandal explodes like a grenade. Celeste and Sabrina's relationship hangs precariously in the balance, and Max isn't sure if he should stay and fight for the woman he's falling for, or get out of dodge before everything he's worked so hard for goes up in smoke.**Note: This book can be read as a standalone. It includes lots of steamy scenes, cursing, a sexy alpha male, and of course as with all my books, this has an HEA and no cliffhanger or cheating. If you liked my single dad series, then you'll love this spin-off trilogy.

Crashing Back Down


Kristen Hope Mazzola - 2013
    Her late husband, Randy, left for the Army right after their wedding. Instead of celebrating his homecoming and living in marital bliss with her soulmate, Mags finds herself living in constant agony. Dealing with the guilt of still living without Randy, are Randy's best friends and parents. Rising from the ashes of this tragedy, Mags starts to learn how to love and trust again, finally being able to find happiness. But sometimes things really are too good to be true and again Mags learns how cruel the world can be as she crashes back down.**18+ for sexual situations, cursing, and adult content.***

Shielding Jolene


Jen Talty - 2021
    Now all she has to do is hit number one with the next one and she has just the story to do it with: The Alleyway Strangler. And the woman who brought him down is willing to give her a once-in-a-lifetime interview. Jolene boards a plane heading for Texas where she meets a well-meaning emergency room doctor who happens to be her biggest fan. Except, this isn’t any ordinary fan. He’s connected to her past. And now history might repeat itself.While forced into a little mini vacation, Michael “Cannon” Santoro is asked by a fellow Delta Force soldier to pick up Jolene up at the airport and keep an eye on her while she interviews his wife. Cannon doesn’t hesitate. Jolene is like no one he’s ever met, and he finds himself in uncharted waters. Only, he’s about to uncover a sinister plan that will bring both their pasts on a collision course with the future, and it isn’t bright.

Texas


Savannah Rylan - 2019
    I’ve always kept my emotions in check. It helps given the position I am in. When I was tasked with watching over our President’s sister, I was ready for it. What I wasn’t ready for, is how that beauty would pull at my heart. I’ve known Ella for years. After a horrible break up with her ex, all I wanted to do was protect her. But now, all I want is to bend her over and make her mine. I know I should resist her. But I think my heart has other plans. Texas is the first book of The Lost Boys MC.

The Event


Whitney Dineen - 2019
    That reason is small-minded, judgmental people who wouldn’t know the truth if it was coughed up on them like an errant furball.After graduating from college, Emmie gets her dream job in New York City. As the head buyer at Silver Spoons--a high-end boutique, and single girl about town, her  life is ideal. That is, until the night of The Event, her company’s annual award's ball at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nerves plus too much tequila leave Emmie dealing with a wicked hangover, the unemployment line, and a surprise to end all surprises.Facing the repercussions of her wild night, Emmie is forced to go home to work in her family's business. But her return puts her dead in the sights of the gossipy country club harpies who drove her away in the first place.Will Emmie make peace with her past and embrace the love of her family? Will she discover that the man who seems to be judging her most has a secret of his own? Find out in this deliciously fun romantic comedy, sure to put a smile on your face!

The Permanence of Pain


Desiree Lafawn - 2018
     But together, they might have a chance at redemption. I'm used to being tested. I thought I could handle what the world threw at me. What I did not expect was betrayal. From the two people I cared about most. That wound cut deep. And now I'm spiraling out of control. But Beck Gallagher is a master of pain. He makes his living memorializing the heartache of others. That beard. That baritone voice. Makes my panties and my willpower disappear. He's got his own demons, everybody does. Could he be the one to fix me? Or is some pain really permanenert? Dowload this sexy contemporary romance now and instantly fall in love. Because this book will tear you apart and put you back together again.

Her Protector


Ashlee Price - 2019
    Escape into the world of these hot alpha males and let them entertain you all night long.Book 1 - ProtectorEx-Firefighter. Current Boss. Future (Pretend) Husband."Save me."I saw that plea in Robyn's tear-moistened chestnut eyes the moment she stepped off the back of my truck.How could I refuse?Heck yeah, I'll protect her.I'll go through flames for this woman.I'll even marry her and father her child.I'll keep her from being harmed.But can I still protect her when my darkest secret is her greatest fear?Book 2 - One Hot DoctorA lot has changed in the 7 years since I saw Ava...Yes, I'm still the only son to billionaire parents.And yes, I'm a doctor now who seems to have women blog about my looks every time I do a TV interview.But Ava's despair runs deep.Her arrogant, abusive fiance makes me sick.Underneath her fragile exterior, I can see she has so much more to offer.Ava and I belong together.I knew it then and I know it now.I'm the only one that can rescue her from this mess.But how can I heal Ava's deepest scar if I'm the one who left it?Book 3 - His GiftThe moment Jordan's doe eyes met mine, I knew I had to have her.Hard not to when a gorgeous woman stumbles into your life.After I claimed her sweet innocence, we lost touch and I focused on building my fortune.Seeing Jordan while I was taking a holiday break in a small town was an unexpected surprise.But she's different now.Her guard is up.She can pretend to hate me all she wants but she can't deny our magnetic attraction.And her son? He sure does look and act a lot like me.I'll make her mine.Despite the odds stacked against us.After all, I have a special gift for her.Book 4 - Most Eligible DaddyThe first time was spur of the moment. The second time will be forever.I never thought I'd fall for a girl in overalls and muddy boots until I met Quinn Hardy.She's the best thing that came with this run-down farm.The loss of my wife left me empty and struggling to raise a daughter.Years later, not even all my wealth can fill the void.But with Quinn, I see everything I want in a woman.I'll show her what a real man is like.I'll crush those greedy neighbors eyeing her land the way I stamp out those trying to mess with my company.I'll destroy anyone and anything that gets in my way.Book 5 - Twist of Fake"I'll be your fiancé."I never thought I'd need one to impress a client and get a promotion.Where's a virgin like me supposed to find someone like that?And I never in my wildest dreams thought he'd volunteer.Lucian.That mysterious drool-worthy mechanic from down the street with a mean streak.The moment I saw those inked arms, I wanted them wrapped around me.