Book picks similar to
Off Balance by L.E. Royal
age-gap
romance
ice-queen
lesbian
The Inheritance
Ali Vali - 2020
Things go from bad to worse when she gets a call from Monique, a beautiful stranger who turns out to be Jim Bob’s mistress and mother to his son. Monique needs financial support for her child, and Tucker steps up―it’s what family does. Willow Vernon has never approved of her sister’s affair with a wealthy married man, but when Monique becomes ill, Willow assumes care of her nephew. When Tucker insists that financial support should give her custody rights, Willow’s ready to go to battle. Tucker’s the same kind of irresponsible philander as Jim Bob, and she’s not falling for the Delacroix charm like Monique had, no matter how tempting Tucker might be. Family ties bring Tucker and Willow together, but they could also tear them, and any chance they have at love, apart.
Temptation
Kris Bryant - 2020
Her parents cut off all funding when she dropped out of medical school, and graduate school is expensive. A full-time nanny job at the Wellington estate is the answer to her problems, except working for beautiful, successful Brook Wellington wasn't in the job description.Brook has always had a head for business. Born into a global shipping empire, she sits at the helm running it with skill and savvy. But success comes at a cost. Her priority is her six-year-old son, but she can't be in two places at once. Hiring a nanny isn't the perfect solution, but it would certainly help, and Cassie came highly recommended. If only she wasn't so damn attractive.Can Cassie and Brook deny their growing attraction and keep things professional? Or will they sidestep propriety and give in to temptation?
When She Thaws
Lily Craig - 2019
After her beloved mother has a health scare, Sadie decides it’s finally time to see the world. So, Sadie crosses the Atlantic to work as an au pair for a year. Austria’s supposed to be nice: chocolate, beer, and scenic mountain ranges beckon. She’ll figure out teaching and living with an Austrian family along the way. Inga Weber trusts only herself. Ever since her husband of twenty years left her for an Instagram model, Inga’s opted to homeschool her three children. Better keep them close so they can’t get hurt. Except it turns out it’s hard to keep an au pair on staff when Inga’s expectations tower higher than the Alps. Exercises, punctuality, and rigor grind down even the best candidates. When Sadie arrives at Inga’s doorstep, her fate seems clear. She’ll be sacked like the rest of them, inadequate in the face of precise demands. Except something about Sadie’s warm smile and caring green eyes makes Inga falter. Though the two diverge in their approaches to life, maybe this time, it’s different. Maybe this time, Inga’s met someone who can melt her frozen heart.
Ice Queen
Gun Brooke - 2021
Instead, she throws herself into helping her students. CEO of a fashion conglomerate, Susanna Garry has been through three painfully public divorces, and to say she’s given up on love would be an understatement.When Aislin agrees to help Susanna connect with her daughter, Cynt, surprising feelings awaken for both of them. But Aislin isn’t ready to trust again and Susanna’s track record is intimidating. If the past were to repeat itself, it could break Aislin for good.Cover Artist: Gun BrookeGenres: Contemporary / Romance
The X Ingredient
Roslyn Sinclair - 2019
Laurie Holcombe is out of a job, out of luck, and out of time. When a prestigious law firm hires her as an assistant to one of its senior partners, it feels like she might finally get back on her feet. All she has to do is put up with the whims of her infuriatingly icy boss, Diana. How hard could that be? Diana Parker is Atlanta’s top lawyer and isn’t afraid to let everyone know it. She’s driven, ruthless, demanding, and stuck in a failing marriage. Too bad she can’t run her personal life as well as she runs her ordered office. When a young assistant shows up with bright blue eyes, a cute Southern accent, and a streak of pink hair, Diana’s sure she’s all wrong for the job. And yet something seems to be pulling her and Laurie Holcombe together, drawing them into a secret, thrilling dance that’s far too dangerous for a boss and employee. Can they make rules for this powerful attraction, a way to keep each other at arm’s length? But how do you resist the irresistible?
Heart of Ice
T.B. Markinson - 2020
If only. Recently widowed, Laurie fears she’s broken beyond repair, until a once-in-a-lifetime business deal reignites her passion for work and gives her a shot at proving to the world she still has some life left in her.Jack Kennedy is a young portfolio manager who aspires to greatness. Unfortunately, she’s so many rungs down the corporate ladder she can’t even scrape up enough money to move out of her mother’s apartment. Her luck changes when her work ethic is finally rewarded with the job opportunity of her dreams.A blizzard forces their worlds to collide, but what was meant to be a no-strings night of passion becomes more complicated when they both arrive at the office the next morning to discover they each spent the night with the one person in the city who could crush their futures.Together, they just might hold the keys to everything they’ve ever wanted, but the difference in their ages and positions could spell the end of their careers. Will the ice queen and the protégé find happiness together or lose everything?
The Music and the Mirror
Lola Keeley - 2018
Her first class with her mysterious idol, Victoria, almost ruins her career before it starts. When she shows she might be a potential star, Victoria chooses Anna to launch a new season around.Now Anna must face down jealousy, sabotage and injury, not to mention navigate the circus of friends and lovers within the company. The pressure builds as she knows she must pour everything she has into opening night and prove to her rivals and herself that Victoria’s faith in her is not misplaced.In the process, Anna discovers that she and the daring, beautiful Victoria have a lot more than a talent for ballet in common, and that not every thrilling dance can be found on stage.Themes: elite ballet company · romance120,000 words
46
Lynn Ames - 2020
She's facing a divided Congress and nation, allies that no longer trust America, enemies that have been emboldened, and the legacy of destruction left by the last administration. She must rebuild and reestablish trust in government, in the media, and the electoral system, all the while carrying the mantle of first female president, and along with it, the hopes and dreams of millions of women and little girls who need her to prove that a woman can get the job done.Palmer Estes has devoted her life and her career to the military, rising to become the highest-ranking female officer in the US Army. An enigmatic, battle-tested hero, she's the perfect choice to brief the new president on one last, highly sensitive mission before she retires.Two strong women, both driven to serve the country they love, neither prepared for the sparks that fly between them.RUNNING TIME ⇒ 8hrs. and 46mins.©2020 Lynn Ames (P)2020 Lynn Ames
Gold
E.J. Noyes - 2018
Aspen packed up her broken life, picked up her broken body and now hides in comfortable obscurity at ski resorts around the world, coaching tourists and ignoring her problems.Cate Tierney knows who Aspen Archer is, but the last place she expected to meet the former Olympian was during a ski trip to Australia. Hurt by a past relationship, and with a teenage daughter to protect, Cate’s initial reluctance is quickly overcome by her intense attraction. But with Cate’s vacation ending in a few short weeks and Aspen’s aversion to staying in one place, can their encounter be anything more than a fling?When Cate discovers Aspen’s secrets, Aspen is forced to face everything she’d been trying to forget. And everything she’d forgotten she wanted. Aspen already knows the route from start to finish doesn’t always go as planned. Now she needs to figure out how to get herself back on course for good.Genre: RomanceEditor: Cath WalkerCover Designer: Judith Fellows
Under a Falling Star
Jae - 2014
Her new job, as a secretary in an international games company in Portland, OR, isn’t off to a good start. Her first assignment—decorating the Christmas tree in the lobby—results in a trip to the ER after Dee, the company’s second-in-command, gets hit by the star-shaped tree topper.Dee blames her instant attraction to Austen on her head wound, not the magic of the falling star. She’s determined not to act on it, especially since Austen has no idea that Dee is practically her boss.
Hotel Queens
Lee Winter - 2020
Over one long night at a bar in Las Vegas, two powerful hotel executives meet, flirt, and challenge each other—having no clue they’re rivals after the same dream deal.Brilliant ice queen Amelia Duxton is a hotel vice president who thrives on control, truth, and efficiency. She’s in no mood for love or the mess it brings. All she wants is to buy the coveted Mayfair Palace—a massive deal that could finally help her land the CEO job in her family’s hotel empire.Fiery Kai Fisher is charming and chaotic and renowned for closing ambitious deals. Her sights are set on snatching the Mayfair Palace out from under the nose of her hated arch rivals, the Duxton family.But when secrets emerge and everything starts to fall apart, how can either of the warring women win—especially when they’ve just met their match?Tags: fire queen, hotel executives, ice queen romance, Las Vegas, opposites-attract romance104,000 words
Heart Block
Melissa Brayden - 2012
After immigrating from Mexico when she was nine years old, she’s content with the life she’s made for herself in sunny San Diego. She works hard at her mother’s housecleaning service by day and spends the evenings with her quirky eight-year-old daughter, Grace.From a very young age, Emory Owen had several concepts drilled into her head. Success is everything. Be the best. Fight your way to the top. Expectations were high in the Owen household and the world was watching. Born into a high society family, Emory never wanted for anything…at least anything money could buy. When she meets Sarah, hired to sort her mother’s home, her sterile life suddenly sparks into color.But when the emotional logistics of combining two very different worlds proves to be too much, a terrifying turn of events spurs the question: If love exists, can it really find a way?
Who'd Have Thought
G. Benson - 2017
And with over $200,000 on offer to tie the knot, no questions asked, cash-strapped ER nurse Hayden Pérez isn’t about to demand answers.The deal is only for a year of marriage, but Hayden’s going into it knowing it will be a nightmare. Sam is complicated, rude, kind of cold, and someone Hayden barely tolerates at work, let alone wants to marry. The hardest part is that Hayden has to convince everyone around them that they’re madly in love and that racing down the aisle together is all they’ve ever wanted. What could possibly go wrong?Words: 122,000
Lost and Found
Natasha West - 2019
After three months, they’re both in deep. And then April vanishes off the face of the earth. Sophie is mystified and devastated. Two years later, Sophie is trying to get on with her life. Until Sophie’s best friend spots April in another town. Sophie needs answers and goes to find her lost love to demand them. But when she finds April, she doesn’t get the answers she’s expecting. What she gets is a story of danger, deceit and intrigue. As well as a lot of old sparks flying. But can Sophie and April find their way back to each other? Or will April’s past find them first? ‘Lost and Found’ is an hilarious romantic comedy packed with adventure and thrills, from the internationally bestselling author of ‘Just Married?’, ‘The Matchmaker’ and ‘200 Hours’.