Book picks similar to
Once Upon a Romance by Alex Bailey


romance
christmas
contemporary
contemporary-romance

Tangled Beauty


K.L. Middleton - 2013
    That is, until she met Reed, Jesse's sexy as hell older brother, and ends up getting much more than what she'd bargained for.Reed Eddington assumed his future was settled until he met Sinclair, his brother's so-called "girlfriend," but the raw, sexual tension between them is hard to ignore. As he watches their ruse from the sidelines, he finds himself wanting to uncover more than just their amusing little facade.Due to sexual content and heavy subject matter, this book is recommended for ages 18+.

Saving Ariel


Ellie Masters - 2021
    His focus is on raising his daughter as a single dad, and keeping his offshore oil rig crew safe. As his crew evacuates in advance of Hurricane Julian, a category five monster barreling down on the gulf, disaster strikes. Two of his crewmen are critically injured. He needs to get them to safety before the hurricane hits. When the aeromedical rescue helicopter pilot turns out to be a woman, he’s surprised. When she falls into his arms, his entire body takes notice. The tough, gorgeous, pilot is everything Aiden thought he’d never have—or want—again. Can Ariel be the one? His second chance at love?Too bad the storm seems to have other plans for them…Ariel Black doesn’t believe in love.With a category five hurricane barreling down on the Gulf, helicopter pilot, Ariel Black, is on a mission to evacuate wounded men from an oil rig. When the massive storm arrives ahead of schedule, it grounds Ariel’s helicopter, trapping them on the oil rig. She and her men, along with Aiden and his wounded, must ride out the storm. It’s the worst possible time to fall in love, but she does. Ariel falls hard…right into the installation manager’s arms. Aiden Cole makes her heart race, her pulse pound, and the butterflies in her stomach soar. Could he be the one?Will the storm of the century destroy Aiden and Ariel’s chance at happily ever after? Or does fate have something else in store?Saving Ariel, a steamy, second chance, contemporary romantic suspense, about love at first sight. It features a protective hero and the smart, feisty heroine who steals his heart.Get your copy today and let the binge-reading begin.(Saving Ariel was previously published as 'Aiden.')

Tangled up in Blue: A Rainy Day Women Romance


Linda Steinberg - 2021
    Deadbeat dads, that is. Until she's arrested by a handsome detective who won't listen to reason. But when she discovers a dead body while working a case, she needs Detective Tall, Dark and Handsome's Help.Protect and serveWhen Dallas P.D. detective Trey Donovan arrests a feisty, gun-toting woman with a stack of hundred dollar bills stashed in her camisole, he senses this is no ordinary drug bust. He manages to maintain his professional composure but he can't get her out of his mind. On his next case, when he finds Selena standing over a dead body, they agree to work together to catch a killer.Trey is by the book; Selena prefers to color outside the lines. But the chemistry between them sparks creative detective work. And ignites simmering passions. Despite their intentions to keep the relationship professional, a rainy night stakeout leaves them 'tangled up in blue.' And when Selena's out-of-the-box ideas put her in danger, Trey realizes this is a woman he will never put out of his mind. And that's a 'Dunn deal.'Tangled up in Blue is the first book in the Rainy Day Women series, featuring women empowering women--and the men who love them. In a converted warehouse near downtown Dallas a group of strong, professional women come together to volunteer their services to the women of an under-served community. They name their facility the Rainy Day Women's Center. Each book is a stand-alone romance about competent, independent women and the equally competent, independent men they can't ignore--or live without.

Torrid


Jayne Blue - 2015
    The perfect family. The perfect life. In one horrible year, it went away. I can never have it back but I can hurt the man responsible for taking what was left. I know how to steal something even more important from him. He doesn’t see how she looks at me instead of him. I can make her burn for me, make her addicted to me before I send her back.And it will be so easy.Tora - I’ll cross any line to get to the truth, no matter who I have to hurt. I don’t have a choice. I’m not afraid to use sex to get what I want. I know you think that makes me a whore. But until you understand what’s at stake, you can’t know.Don’t judge me until you do.Sometimes, you have to take what you want no matter what it costs.This is part one in a sizzling new erotic romance series by Jayne Blue. It contains strong sexual content and is intended for mature readers.Book Categories

Dark McKenna


Shayne Ford
    He doesn't believe in second chances.When Vivian Mason, a college freshman who has no family left and struggles to survive, runs into a broody, handsome man one November night while fighting a cold rain on the streets of Manhattan, she has no idea who he is.A man of a few words, a body made of steel and eyes brimming with fire, the mysterious stranger saves her life more than once.Soft and delicate and a moving target, she falls for the broad-shouldered man, although his identity remains a secret to her.Fate pulls him away from her before one morning, she finds herself and her best friend in the boardroom of a multi-billion corporation, waiting for the company's owner to commence his speech when the door opens, and a tall, dark-haired man wearing a high-end suit walks in.She stares at his back for a few moments before he slowly turns, and then her heart stops.NOTE:The enigmatic male lead makes an appearance in Golden Heir Series.Spoilers of Shade's story (the lead man in the Golden Heir Series) are present in the Shades of Love Series.This book ends in a CLIFFHANGER.Three books in this series. All available.

The Beginning


Patricia McLinn - 2013
    . . and then they part . . . Forever?Before the bestselling and award-winning Wyoming Wildflowers series, there was another love story, one that laid the foundation for all those that came after.Ed Currick’s and Donna Roberts’ 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?Enjoy the entire Wyoming Wildflowers series. Get this much-anticipated prequel by USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn now!

Hit & Run Bride


Nana Malone - 2014
     Marketing analyst Becca Daniels has a life that looks good on paper. A coveted promotion in an exciting new city and a successful, handsome fiancé. But with her Hawaiian honeymoon fast approaching, she has to face her biggest fear… water. She can’t swim. On her way to her first swimming lesson, however, she veers left instead of right and nearly runs over her hot, new swim instructor. Caution: Rising Waters... Liam Caldwell has put his life on hold to look after his sick mother. The last thing he needs is the hit-and-run brunette who ruined his motorcycle disrupting the adult swim class. But from the first lesson, he realizes there’s more to the curvy, smart-mouthed Becca than meets the eye, and no matter what he does, he can’t resist her luscious lips and her driving determination. No U-turn... With each lesson, Becca discovers that what looks good on paper isn’t making her happy. Should she play it safe in the shallow end with her career and fiancé? Or should she dive into deep waters with a man who offers passion and freedom like she’s never imagined?**This contemporary New Adult romance is intended for readers 17+. Contains adult content, language, and situations.

Shore Lights


Barbara Bretton - 2003
    Maddy Bainbridge left her Jersey Shore home town right after high school, determined to put as many miles as possible between herself and her many meddling relatives.Now she's back in Paradise Point -- an unemployed single mother whose only option is to accept her mother Rose's offer of a job and a place to live.But it doesn't take Maddy long to discover that the things about your mother that made you crazy at 17 make you even crazier at 32. Rose's critical comments bring out Maddy's inner teenager and by the beginning of December, the end is in sight. Maddy would stay there at the Candlelight Inn, her mother's popular B&B, through Christmas for her daughter Hannah's sake, but once the New Year rolled around… And then fate, in the form of an online auction battle over a Russian samovar that looks like Aladdin's lamp, brings home-town hero Aidan O'Malley into her life and suddenly Maddy begins to believe anything is possible.A child's dreams, an old woman's memories, the joys and heartaches that come with being part of a family, the thrill of new love and the deep comfort of love that stood the test of time -- it all comes together that one special holiday season when even the most battered hearts open just wide enough to let a miracle or two slip through.USA Today bestselling author Barbara Bretton has been hailed as a "monumental talent" (Affaire de Coeur) and now she delves deeply into the mysteries of family and shows us that even the most independent woman is still a daughter at heart.Home: it's where your story starts.(Previously published by Berkley Books)

The Honeymoon Prize


Melissa McClone - 2014
    Winning an unexpected dream honeymoon turns into a nightmare when they find a reality TV crew waiting for them on the island paradise. With cameras rolling, filming their every move, the lines blur between fantasy and reality. Acting like passionate newlyweds wreaks havoc on their platonic agreement. Will Nick and Addie succumb to their feelings off camera, turning their make-believe marriage into a real fairytale?

For the Fight


Leah Ashton - 2018
    He’s a SWAT team operator who broke her heart.The gunman holding them hostage? He’s got no idea who he’s dealing with...Luella Brayshaw doesn’t think when she sees Nate Rivers, twelve years since he walked away. She just feels – all the hurt, and all the heat – and she runs. But by the time her brain clicks into gear she’s on a random train, with Nate – and that’s when it all goes very, very wrong.Driven and dedicated, Elite SWAT tactical operator Nate Rivers knows he made the right decision all those years ago. Although it’s hard to remember why with Lou right in front of him, all strong, gorgeous and justifiably furious with him.But then a gunman takes their carriage hostage… and suddenly the past doesn’t matter. Now it’s up to Nate and Lou – unarmed - to save everyone on that train.When their past and present collide, passion ignites – as hot and as powerful as a decade before. But can the mistakes of the past be forgiven? Or will they destroy any chance of a future together?** For the Fight is the first book in the Elite SWAT series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliff-hanger endings. For the Fight was previously published as Undaunted (WASP Team #1).

Christmas Hostage


Jane Blythe - 2017
    Now it’s giving them a second chance.He walked away because he thought it was what she wanted. When FBI Agent Tom Drake arrives at the scene of a robbery, the last person he expects to see is his ex-wife. Seeing her again reminds him of everything he lost when they divorced, and the only way he's going to survive being around her again is to keep reminding himself this is just another job.She let him walk away because she thought it was what was best for him. Hannah Buffy is conflicted about seeing her ex-husband again, especially when he starts claiming he thinks the robbery at her store wasn’t random. Positive it is just another way for him to paint her as a victim, she ignores his warnings at her own peril.↝ Trigger warning - mature content, issues of sexual assault/abuse, violence ↜

Duet in September


Gina Ardito - 2013
    Every day for thirty days, they intend to do one thing differently from their normal routine—with unique results. Nia, still bitter years after her mother left the family for a wealthy tourist, finds herself falling for vineyard owner, Aidan Coffield, the son of a wealthy Manhattan real estate tycoon. Meanwhile, Paige keeps knocking heads with her high school nemesis and now town police chief, Sam Dillon. Each day of this special September will provide Paige and Nia with new adventures, new self-awareness, and of course, enough love to last two lifetimes.

Half Moon Holler


Taryn Bradley - 2017
    That's all it takes to set the world spinning for Nate. Nathan J. Bentley, is a 100% All-American backwoods southern boy, with tattoos, piercings, and muscles. Life in the small town of Half Moon is all Nathan wants…that and his holler. A hollow in the woods next to Half Moon pond. It’s not just home for Nathan; it's a refuge, a place to breathe easy and find peace in a hectic world. One U-turn. That's all it takes for Cassie to find her future. Cassandra Jane Reimer's mad dash from her posh life, leads her to the door of Half Moon Motorcycle & Auto Repair, and right into Nathan's path. Half Moon may not have been her home by choice, but Cassie quickly finds her heart healing within its limits. And, when the past comes knocking, Half Moon has her back…and Nathan has her heart. One U-turn. That's all Nathan wants. To go back in time and change one innocent decision that may cost him his heart, his soul…his world. Just one U-turn.

Bayou Devils MC 5-8


A.M. Myers - 2020
    She was smart as a whip and challenged him at every turn and Noah wasted no time in winning her heart. They were inseparable until the club got in the way. A jealous competitor, carelessness and his own ambition cost him everything.Now, after being released from prison, he's determined to rebuild his life and find the one girl who has always owned his heart. The problem is no one has heard a word from her in seven long years.But that was before Noah joined the hunt.NEVER LET ME GO:Juliette Shaw has everything a girl could ask for – a thriving business, a beautiful home, loyal friends, and a gorgeous fiancé – but she doesn’t remember any of it.After a horrific car accident steals her father’s life and five years of her memory, she is lost in a world she doesn’t recognize and is desperately searching for answers. Nothing feels right and behind each clue from her past are more questions, so she does the only thing she can do – run.Sawyer Michelson, brother of the Bayou Devils MC, looks intimidating as hell and a smart girl like Juliette knows better than to accept a ride from a stranger but there’s something about his deep blue eyes that puts Juliette at ease and pulls her in. He makes her heart race and the longer she spends with him, the more she discovers the sweet, funny, and loyal man beneath the mask. But even a thousand miles from home, danger seems to find her, leaving Juliette to wonder if it’s just bad luck or if she is in more trouble than she realized.Can Juliette recover her past and find answers or will she lose more than just her memories this time?EVERY LITTLE THING:Army veteran, ex-cop, and brother of the Bayou Devils MC, Wyatt Landry is a man on a mission. He’s always wanted a family, but after being blindsided and betrayed by his ex-wife, Piper, he’s hesitant to try again… until now. He’s done letting the woman who abandoned him years ago control his future.Piper Landry knows a thing or two about trauma and she has the emotional scars to prove it. In a moment of weakness, she made the biggest mistake of her life, walking away from her husband and the love they shared. It haunts her every day, but she's trying to move forward and rebuild her life, without him.When fate brings Wyatt and Piper together again, sparks fly and old wounds are torn open, leaving them stranded in a minefield of secrets and lies. But the pain of their past isn’t the only thing standing in their way.WICKED GAMES:The only remaining single member of the Bayou Devils MC, Travis Broussard, refuses to fall in love. His brothers may have found happiness but with his dark past still haunting him, he can’t afford to let any woman get too close.Rowan Archer has had her fair share of heartbreak, but after the sudden loss of her mother and finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman, she reaches her breaking point and moves across the country to be closer to her brother in Baton Rouge.One drunken night and the need for a temporary relief bring two broken hearts together. Sparks ignite between Travis and Rowan but it can’t last. It’s clear there is no future for them and they each agree to keep things casual but you know what they say about best laid plans.Someone begins to target the club, tormenting them in a sick little game of cat and mouse as he makes promises of pain and bloodshed in the name of revenge and Travis’s past catches up to him when he least expects it, forcing him to make a choice.Saving those he loves means pushing Rowan away but Travis has no other option with the dark threat looming over all of their heads.

Proxy Bride


Katy Paige - 2019
    But when these two unlikely proxies end up missing their appointment with the judge, they're forced to spend a long weekend together.Despite their differences, they find themselves drawn to each other: Sam finds Jenny's unaffected wholesomeness refreshing, and Sam's gentle teasing fills Jenny with a longing she has never known.But when a supermodel ex, a very handsome principal, and three over-protective older brothers start meddling, will our sweet country mouse and slick city mouse find a path that leads to happily-ever-after?Set against the snowy backdrop of Gardiner, Montana, Proxy Bride is the perfect holiday read for fans of hot chocolate, warm gingerbread, and the magic of Hallmark Christmas movies!