Book picks similar to
Red Stilettos by Paris Brandon


romance
relationships
dancing
journalism

There's Cake in My Future


Kim Gruenenfelder - 2010
    Melissa (Mel), still ringless after dating the same man for six years, deserves the engagement ring charm. The red hot chili pepper would be perfect for Seema, who is in love with her best male friend Scott, but can't seem to make their relationship more than platonic. And recently laid off journalist Nic wants the shovel, which symbolizes hard work, to help her get her career back on track. Nic does everything she can to control who gets which silver keepsake - as well as the future it represents. But when the charmed cake is mysteriously shifted from the place settings Nic arranged around it, no one gets the charm she chose for them. And when the other party guests' fortunes begin coming true, Mel, Seema, and Nic can't help but wonder.... Is the cake trying to tell them something?

The Pain in Loving You


Kandi Steiner - 2021
    A forbidden touch in the dark. A love that hurts… in the best way.From bestselling author Kandi Steiner comes an angsty collection of three gut-wrenching, heart-stopping romances that will have you on the edge of your seat from the first hitched breath until the very last kiss.For those who like a little pain with their hearts and flowers…Included in the collection:WeightlessYoung Natalie finds self-love and romance with her personal trainer, along with a slew of secrets that tie them together in ways she never thought possible.A Love Letter to WhiskeyAn achingly poignant rollercoaster romance between two lovers fighting the curse of bad timing.Make Me Hate YouJasmine has been avoiding her best friend’s brother for years. But when they’re forced to be in the same house for a wedding, she remembers just how thin the line is between love and hate.

The Roommate (West Coast Soulmates #2.5)


Carla Krae
    At age 25, Ros calls in her chip.Her little brother lands in an hour.And he needs a place to crash.For more than one night.No problem, right?I pick Patrick up at LAX, expecting the same slight and nerdy boy I last saw in high school. He's still a nerd—new IT job—but all grown up and more gorgeous than any best friend's little brother has a right to be.When he walks around my apartment in only a towel, it’s difficult to keep seeing him as only a friend.Ros completely bails on us, so I propose pooling our money into a two-bedroom and officially becoming roommates. He’s polite, sweet, clean, and cooks.What could go wrong?I could fall in love with him. This story is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult language, sexual content, and adult situations.

Illyria


Elizabeth Hand - 2007
    Even within their large, disorderly family—all descendants of a famous actress—their intensity and passion for theater sets them apart. It makes them a little dangerous. When they are cast in their school’s production of Twelfth Night, they are forced to face their separate talents and futures, and their future together.This stunning short novel, winner of the World Fantasy Award, is the perfect introduction to Elizabeth Hand’s singular voice. Her many novels offer a window into what it means to create art, to experience it, to feel passionately about the world. Illyria throws her talent into high relief—it is magic on paper.

All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps


Dave Isay - 2012
    As the storytellers in this book start careers, build homes, and raise families, we witness the life-affirming joy of partnership, the comfort of shared sorrows, and profound gratitude in the face of loss.These stories are also testament to the heart’s remarkable endurance. In ALL THERE IS we encounter love that survives discrimination, illness, poverty, distance—even death. In the courage of people’s passion we are reminded of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. This powerful collection bares witness to real love, in its many varied forms, enriching our understanding of that most magical feeling.

Dark Lightning


Bethany Wicker - 2014
    She was just a normal girl without a passing thought that there could be something out there other than humans. Until her seventeenth birthday. In a moment of panic, something unthinkable happens: lightning surged out of her hands. Soon after, she is swept away into the world of elementals. At Westville Boarding School, she is drawn into a society full of dark secrets, power, and rivalry, and she must find her place in the battle Ms. Masters, the leader of the elementals, is set on instigating against humans. Aided by her best friend Harper McGee, she realizes her true potential and the benefits of wielding lightning. However, reoccurring nightmares are testing the limits of her sanity and the fact that an unavoidable darkness follows the lightning doesn't help. When the past and present starts to collide, secrets are revealed and fate is hard to avoid. Throw in the infuriating, but mouth-watering, Nathan Yates and life is no longer easy. She instantly feels drawn to him, no matter how rude he is or how hard he pushes her away.

Alpha Shifter Seductions Boxed Set


Mandy M. Roth - 2014
    Frontier living isn't what it used to be. It's hard to survive in the New Old West and it's even harder when your area doesn't exactly embrace supernaturals--and you howl at the moon. That being said, he's good at his job and has a reputation with the ladies. When he learns his childhood sweetheart is to be married off to the town sleazebag, he goes in guns blazing to see to it she's his. Problem is, Molly isn't the same girl he remembers from ten years prior. Now she's a gun-toting, foul-mouthed, vixen with a badge of her own. Special Marshal Molly Cogan never planned to set foot back in Prospect Springs. When her friend gets the harebrained idea to steal her identity in an attempt to protect her from the bounty the outlaws have on her head, Molly finds herself standing right smack dab in the middle of chaos--or home in her case. It isn't long before Jonathan is there, flashing that famous MacSweeny boy smile and tempting her in ways she wasn't prepared for. This heart-hardened Marshal has her work cut out for her if she plans to face her past fears and her past sweetheart. Pike's Peak (Shifter Paranormal Romance): Preventing world domination has its perks--brawn, brains, and now ... beauty. Pike Kinsley is your run-of-the-mill, supernatural--fighting evil at all costs. Humans view him as a superhero. He doesn't want fame or glory. He just wants to live his life in peace, kill bad guys and scratch a carnal itch when need be. He also wants to forget messing up the most important thing in his life--a chance to claim the woman he loves. When opportunity knocks, wearing a navy catsuit, the wolf side of him comes to an understanding with the man--they will claim the woman. The blast from the past is more than Pike bargained for and might possibly be more than he can handle...If evil doesn't kill him, his best friend just might. After all, it's his best friend's sister Pike wants to conquer. Tipping the Scales (Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance) Zarek Dracodomus has one slight problem. If he doesn't mate by the end of the year, he'll never have sex again. When he sees a tall seductress, he knows she's the one. This headstrong sex goddess manages to turn the tables on the immortal playboy and Zarek finds himself racing to beat time, not only to remain sexually active but to win Keren's heart as well. Little does he know he's been yanked out of his tedium by a woman sworn to kill him and all of his kind. Warriors of Darkness (Paranormal Shifter Erotic Romance): Deryn Murray has her work cut out for her. Not only is she determined to prevent Alejandro Vargas's death--one she's seen over and over in her dreams--but she must keep anyone from learning her true identity--that of a slayer, and sworn enemy of all the supernaturals. Protecting the Colonel of the alternate realm military base threatens not only her life but her very heart. Despite his refusal to cooperate, Alejandro has broken through her emotional barriers and holds the power to hurt her worse than anyone ever has. Colonel Alejandro Vargas is more than frustrated when his job gets a whole lot tougher due to the arrival of two civilian doctors, one of whom is human. Tall, sexy and blonde, Dr. Deryn Murray gets under his skin in more ways than one. If she's not humming nursery rhymes and talking to animals, she's taking on armed spirit tomb guards while insisting she's saving his life.

After Dark: The Darkest Angel/Shadow Hunter


Gena Showalter - 2011
    Spawned from the bloodline of his enemy, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the untouched Lysander into temptation. He may try to evade her attempts, but even the most iron-willed demon assassin can resist for only so long....And from debut author Kait BallengerShadow HunterVampire hunter Damon Brock's first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn't the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she works solo. But being alone is no longer so desirable when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. As they work to massacre the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when they are forced to decide between their lifelong beliefs... and their newfound hearts.

The Heart of Christmas


Patricia McLinn - 2013
    In Wyoming Wildflowers: The Beginning, discover how it all started in this much-anticipated prequel novella to the bestselling and award-winning Wyoming Wildflowers series by USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn. Ed’s and Donna’s worlds couldn’t have been any more different – a rancher from Wyoming and an up-and-coming Broadway musical actress on a national tour. What could have been a momentary encounter sparks desire . . . and more. But can there be anything but heartbreak ahead when they have only days before their dreams pull them apart? In Almost An Angel, Conor Malone manages to hold things together for his daughter Amy after his wife’s death, until someone tells her Santa will bring her mother back for Christmas. How can Conor force Amy to accept reality without ruining her holiday? With help from Eliza Powell, the alluring new school psychologist—and the Daddy School. In Flashover, Nick Evans, a captain in the Hidden Cove fire department, believes he committed the worst of crimes, even if it was to protect his little sister. He's not ready for a relationship with Stacey Sterling, a firefighter’s widow who’s determined to help him heal. But on Christmas, Nick learns the meaning of redemption and love.

Haunted by Your Touch Anthology


Jeaniene Frost - 2010
    But once he's saved her, can he let her go? Darkest Temptation (book 4.5 of the Moon Chasers series)Lycans rule the night in Sharie Kohler's suspenseful story, as a fiery woman stalks mysterious Luc, the undeniably hypnotic being she believes can save her from turning -- IF -- she kills him.

Sweet Romance


Erika EverestMeredith Deichler - 2020
    Love, laughter, and occasional tears - no need to turn on the Hallmark Channel this winter. Snuggle up with this feel-good anthology instead!Warning: reading this anthology may cause cravings for cider sugar donuts, French toast, pimento cheese, cherry cola, and maple syrup ice-cream, as well as happy ever afters

Terror in the Shadows: Volume 3


Ron Ripley - 2019
    A dark ritual turns a woman obsessed with supernatural powers against the people who love her most. A possessed TV proves that old B-Movie monsters can still terrify an unsuspecting audience…Scare Street’s roster of authors brings you eleven new tales of supernatural horror, in one blood-chilling volume. This macabre collection of short stories is guaranteed to get your pulse racing, and send shivers down your spine.Each deliciously dark tale will haunt your dreams, and keep you reading long past the witching hour. But wait…What was that noise? Did something move in the shadows?Just keep telling yourself… it’s only a story.

Dogs and Goddesses


Jennifer Crusie - 2009
    She’s reluctantly inherited her grandmother’s coffee shop, but it’s not long before she’s brewing up trouble in the form of magical baked goods and steaming up her life with an exasperating college professor. And then there’s Daisy, a web code writer, and her hyperactive Jack Russell, Bailey. Her tightly-wound world spins out of control when she discovers the chaos within and meets a mysterious dog trainer whose teaching style is definitely hands-on.Finally there’s Shar, professor of ancient history at Summerville College, who wakes up one morning to find her neurotic dachshund, Wolfie, snarling at an implacable god sitting at her kitchen table, the first thing in her life she hasn’t been able to footnote. What on earth is going on in this unearthly little town? It’s up to Abby, Daisy, and Shar to find out before an ancient goddess takes over Southern Ohio, and they all end up in the apocalyptic doghouse…

Seeds of Deception


Linda Castillo - 2016
    It’s just another day filled with chores—until her best friend Mattie arrives to help. Somehow, boredom transforms into fun and games whenever the girls are together. The innocent fun comes to an end when Billy Marquardt and his gang of friends interrupts. Katie is no prude, but she knows better than to associate with the older English boys, especially since they’re known troublemakers. Mattie has no such compunction. Thumbing her nose at the Ordnung and all of the Amish rules, she disappears into the old barn with Billy.Moments later, the Zimmerman’s barn is consumed by fire. Katie suspects Billy had something to do with the blaze, but he denies it. When the facts don’t add up, Katie begins her own investigation—and she doesn’t like what she finds. Will her friendship with Mattie survive the truth?

Love at First Flight


Marie Force - 2009
    She's wondering why they're not engaged yet. Michael is going to his fiancee's parents' home for an engagement party he doesn't want. A states' prosecutor, he's about to try the biggest case of his career, he hates the distraction, and he's having doubts about the relationship. They sit together on the plane, and discover they're on the same flight coming back. When the weekend is a disaster for each of them, they bond on the plane ride home. But life is full of complications, including their exes, who don't want to let go, and when Michael's trial turns dangerous, the two must confront what they value most in life... Praise for Line of Scrimmage: "I will definitely be reading more Marie Force." -Revisiting the Moon's Library "It was a book that made me laugh as well as cry. The three-dimensional characters were so vivid... hands down, this is the best romance I've read this year." -J. Kaye's Book Blog "With its humor and endearing characters, Force's charming novel will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, reaching far beyond sports fans." -Shelley Mosley, Booklist