Book picks similar to
Tense - Volume One by Deborah Bladon


contemporary
contemporary-romance
romance
1st-in-series

Beat


Amity Cross - 2014
    Then one day they lose the battle and she’s all alone.Now twenty-two, Ren reluctantly goes to find her estranged father. He owns the down and out boxing studio, Beat, and Ren finds herself drawn to the ring. She thrives on learning a new way of fighting a life that kept kicking her down…instead of struggling against the current, she kicks it right between the legs.Then one day, Ash Fuller, her Dad's star fighter comes back to town. Mysterious, handsome… Dangerous… Everything Ren doesn't need.But he's got other ideas……and so does she.

Savage Collision


T.L. Smith - 2017
    If you let it, it could own you. A kiss from a stranger was highly unlikely. A kiss from a man who hid himself from me, yet slowly tormented me, was unlike any other kiss. It was the kiss of death. It was my hands in cuffs chained to his waist. And only he could set me free. How could I be so blind? How could I have let a man that was delicious as sin take a grip on me? No matter how hard I tried to pull, those cuffs stayed glued to him as the wall that stood between us. I had to smash that wall, I had to see the truth. Even if we collide. Even if he’s my own savage collision. I have to be set free. Part one of the Savage Love Duet. Part Two Releasing May 29th.

Griff Montgomery: Quarterback


Jean C. Joachim - 2015
    Griff Montgomery is the headline-making, heart-breaking star quarterback of the Kings – a 6’4”, 33 year old womanizer. Lauren Farraday is a beautiful young interior designer, bitterly scarred by divorce, whose life is falling apart. Though they violently oppose one another in court over her beloved pug (she thinks he’s arrogant and conceited, and he thinks she’s a bitch on wheels), something happens.... These are the bare bones of this sizzling romance, riddled with passion -- the first in a brand new series that’ll tantalize football fans and have readers glued to every page and on the edge of their seats! Griff looks like a super hero with his tousled, mahogany hair, dazzling smile, dark, sexy eyes, and a body that does something indescribable to a tight pair of jeans. Though Lauren’s sworn off men forever, one look sends shivers down her spine, making her feel lonelier than ever before. Her lustrous, long hair, sparkling green eyes, and nonstop curves make his fingers tingle at the thought of touching her. How do they deal with their cataclysmic attraction? Will they be able to drop their protective facades – his to camouflage his grief over his sister and her family, for whom he was a surrogate father, moving 3000 miles away…. And hers’ to shield her from the incalculable loss of her husband and hoped for child? For Griff, the thought of falling in love is as foreign as toe shoes and a tutu. For Lauren, it’s like putting on cleats and a helmet and running 50 yards…. Can they, will they, risk it? Get GRIFF – and find out! CAUTION: Book contains locker room language.

Imperfect


Willow Winters - 2017
    It’s been a long time since I’ve looked at a man and wanted something more.Even longer since one has looked at me with a gaze that I couldn’t tear my eyes from. One look and I was tempted; one taste and I was addicted. No one is perfect, but that’s how it felt to be in his arms. I started to think everything was going to be alright. That life had finally put the pieces of my broken heart back together. Fate may have brought us together, it’s a pretty little thought my poetic mind had. But there’s no doubt that the sins of his past would tear us apart. “Reading this book leaves you with raw feelings and can break your heart. A very intense love story packed in one single book.” Andrea, early review

Mister Black


P.T. Michelle - 2014
    That one person who blew through our lives, their presence forever stamped on our psyche. They linger in our thoughts, in our hearts, and in the decisions we make. A soul crusher or a dream maker, depending on the perspective.My person is MISTER BLACK. I didn’t know him by that name when I first met him. I didn’t know him at all, but the impression he left behind was just as powerful as the name I call him today.He is Black: a deadly enforcer and masterful seducer.I am Red: a justice bleeder and willing participant.Together we are passion. Colors colliding through each other’s lives. When our secrets converge in a passionate encounter, stepping out of the shadows just might be worth the risk.

The Tick-tock Between You and Me (Canterbury Romance #1)


Kristy Tate - 2018
     Darby Elliott thinks she’s in love with her long-distance boyfriend until he arrives on her doorstep. Now, she’s not so sure about him or how to get her car and money back. Which is embarrassing, because she’s a hot-shot accountant and money isn’t supposed to slip through her fingers... or into her boyfriend’s wallet. Chad George and his girlfriend, Jessica have been together since they were kids. The trouble is, Jessica thinks Chad should convert his grandfather’s dying horse ranch into a cosmetic surgery recovery spa, and Chad thinks his grandfather should maintain the ranch as he wishes. When Chad’s grandfather hires Darby, she discovers the ranch is full of untapped potential and hidden treasures including a clock that only seems to tick when she and Chad are together. Does the clock have a hidden message? Can Darby and Chad save the ranch before time runs out? USA Today bestselling author Kristy Tate returns with another clean and wholesome romance that will be sure to warm the hearts of Hallmark movie fans. If you like sweet romances with a touch of magical realism, be sure and pick up your copy of The Tick-tock Between You and Me today. You'll never look at your clock the same way again.

The Lover's Secret


J.C. Reed - 2014
    Jett Mayfield is dangerously sexy, but more than that he attracts trouble. Avoiding him has never been an option. The night he hooks up with Brooke, he aims to keep her in his bed, but more than that, he aims to make her his. When he sweeps her away for one weekend, she has no idea that some rules are bound to be broken, and that his dark secrets will impact her life in a way she never imagined. Too late she realizes that she has fallen for a man she should never have been involved with in the first place. And that one weekend will change everything. Will it be too late to run or will the truth allow them to heal? A woman who can't trust easily A man who has too many secrets Two lives that are about to be destroyed Book 1 in the No Exceptions series. Full length novel. This book contains adult themes. 18+ No Exceptions is a standalone series.

Staking His Claim


Lynda Chance - 2012
    Recognizing his ruthless intensity for what it is, she doesn't correct him when he assumes she is an eighteen-year-old freshman.Raul Vega has never met a woman he couldn't do without. Until he meets Elaina Ruiz and knows she has to belong to him--even if it means waiting for her to grow up.

Love Sex & Other Games


Cheryl McIntyre - 2016
    So why am I playing best man at her wedding? One too many drinks and a vindictive one-night stand lead to a disastrous wedding toast. But it also leads me to her—Emerson Metz—Roselyn’s younger sister, now all grown up and just as brokenhearted over her sister’s new marriage as I am. Love Sex & Other Games is a serial—each part is the size of a novelette—and intended for an adult audience. Due to foul language, sexual innuendos, dirty talk, and adult themes, this serial is recommended for readers 18+.

The Billionaire Deception


Holly Rayner - 2015
     Erin Summers is delighted; with an interview for a role within the prestigious Hunter Corp sealed, she's one step closer to fulfilling her life-long goal. Erin, however, has a secret. She's no ordinary applicant... Born Adele Morgan, the daughter of the late Sean Morgan, and rightful heir to the Hunter Corp business empire, Erin and her family were screwed out of her birthright by the nefarious and ruthless businessman James Hunter. Now, with a credible back-story and a route to infiltrate the company, Erin can finally take back what's hers. With her plans finally coming to fruition, her continued association with Seth, James Winters' handsome, charismatic son and heir - albeit an heir to a stolen business - throws her ambitions and ideals into turmoil. Caught between conflicting desires for the man she finds irresistible, and the livelihood and birthright she feels is rightfully hers, Erin has some tough decisions to make...

The Road to Price


JE - 2013
    Mia Dechino is running from her traumatic past and the death of a loved one. Heartbroken and numb, she packs a bag and is ready to escape the small town in Georgia where she grew up. Heading off to Miami to start over, she meets Sebastian Price on an interview from hell. Sebastian is cocky, arrogant, and a womanizer, but he might be what Mia is searching for. Mia tries to keep her distance from Sebastian but the connection between them is unavoidable. Their attraction slowly builds as the line between employee and employer blurs. At twenty-three years old, Mia has gone through more than most people have in a lifetime. Can Mia move past the pain she has in her heart and finally begin to be happy? Or will the guilt of a loved one’s death destroy her. . *Recommended for 17+ due to subject matter and sexual content.

Wild Hearts


Vivian Wood - 2017
    Her parents are long buried, her friends are too busy, and all she has is her job in corporate law to make her feel grounded. Each day is like the last with no telling if there will ever be something more for her. When a distant aunt passes away and leaves Faith her land, Faith has to put her empty life on hold and travel across the country to settle the estate.A West Coast girl used to a fast paced lifestyle, Faith is ready to be entirely unimpressed by what she finds on the Georgia coast. That is, until she meets Alex. Strong, tall, and decidedly anti-social, Alex is everything that Faith has been dreaming of her whole life. The fact that he scowls as he shows her the wonders of her new land doesn’t bother her… not like seeing him without his shirt does, anyway.(I have more!)

Forgotten Truth (Forgotten #1)


Virginia Wine - 2015
    Danger, sex, and mystery. From the moment I met him, I knew I couldn’t resist. From the moment I met her, I knew I could change . Nathan James knows what he wants, and that’s the beautiful, successful Bryer Reid. Both have to conquer their past, so it doesn’t dictate their future together. But neither of them can anticipate the depths of betrayal ahead.

Stolen Wishes


Lexi Ryan - 2013
    Intended for mature readers.**Cally…A sexy smile. Intense blue eyes. A goodness that makes him want to save me from these rumors when no one else would care. I didn't ask for a hero. William Bailey was never supposed to be anything more than a wish, a dream, an unrequited crush. Not for a girl like me--a girl whose fractured family has stolen her chance at a decent life.William…Since the death of my parents, I've always done what’s expected of me, what's "best" for me. Until Cally. The moment her haunted eyes meet mine, the fractured pieces of my heart feel whole again. I don’t just want to save her. I need her to save me.Stolen chances. Unbroken wishes. Two lonely souls grasping for hope in the darkness.**This novella takes place seven years before the events in WISH I MAY and shows William and Cally falling in love for the first time. It can be read before or after WISH I MAY or on its own.**

Red & Wolfe, Part One


Ella James - 2014
    Worse than that? She's broke. Her boyfriend recently left her, so she's stuck paying her hefty apartment rent alone. After two months unemployed, there's no money left. With no immediate family to turn to, Red reaches out to her estranged grandmother, a reclusive writer living on an island off the coast of Charleston. Several days later, Red receives $30,000 and an invitation to visit. James Wolfe is not Red's grandmother - but he's the only person waiting for her at the boat dock. Red has something he needs. He won't take "no" for an answer, and he doesn't mind screwing her over to get it. He lost his conscience six years ago, when he went off the grid. Since then, life is about him - and the renowned oil paintings he does under the mysterious pseudonym "W." Until the moment he sees her. Then Red is all he wants. And Wolfe will have her - any way he can. * This story is the first of three serials about Red & Wolfe. Red & Wolfe Part I was originally published in The BEND Anthology, a collection of stories from the authors of The Erotica Consortium.