Book picks similar to
Halstead House by Aspen Hadley
contemporary
fiction
romance
dnf
The Mostly Real McCoy
Julie Christianson - 2021
I need a second job until my promotion kicks in. Since our arrangement is only for one month, I am positive I won’t get attached. Medium positive. Okay, I’m negative.This is a terrible idea.Because I can’t give Mac and Daisy what they need, and I won’t risk breaking their hearts, but his green eyes and her crooked pigtails have me dreaming about forever. And who can resist a dad buying pink ballerina tights after a day spent in a hard hat?The thing is Mac is a fixer, and I need to repair my own life. Better yet, I don’t want to feel broken. So it’s a good thing the worst has already happened to me. Nothing will hurt more now. Water can’t get wetter. That’s what I keep telling myself.Too bad I’m all wrong...
A Wedding to Adore
Evangeline Kelly - 2021
After starting a new business with her two friends, she is determined to make it a success.That is until…she gets a client with parents who threaten to ruin everything with their constant bickering. And then there is the brother of the bride. He’s tall, dark, and handsome, and completely smitten with Brooklyn. Except, he’s determined not to marry. Ever.Jarrett Jeffries is a multi-million-dollar software developer who will do anything for his baby sister, including paying for her wedding. When he meets her wedding planner, he knows he has to keep her at arm’s distance, but that seems almost impossible when sparks fly and he can’t get her off his mind.After a lifetime of dealing with contentious parents, Jarrett believes it’s better to play it safe and stay away from the institution of marriage.But sometimes, life throws a curveball and one has to reevaluate everything they ever believed about love.*This is a contemporary Christian story with strong Biblical themes and Bible references.
A Spot of Trouble
Teri Wilson - 2021
Sam knows that’s impossible—for one thing, his dog Cinder is a well-trained fire safety dog who never steps out of line. Violet’s dog Sprinkles, on the other hand, has never met a command that she didn’t ignore completely, much like her bubbly owner. So when Sprinkles and Cinder accidentally switch places during the annual police vs. fire department softball tournament, Violet is thrilled by her dog’s sudden perfect behavior, while stubborn-yet-charming Sam is horrified to find that his dog no longer listens.But when the dogs are eventually switched back, Sam and Violet are shocked to find that not everything is as simple as it seems. And a little puppy love might be just the thing they’ve been missing...
The Me I Used to Be
Jennifer Ryan - 2019
Her mother blames her for her father’s death, and her brothers want her out of their way. When Evangeline learns she’s solely responsible for their failing ranch—putting her family’s future squarely on her shoulders—she’ll have to find a creative way to save their home before they lose it all.She’ll have her reckoning...Her only ally: the cop who sent her away. Chris Chambers is positive she went to prison to protect someone else. He strikes a deal: help him track down the real criminals in exchange for clearing her name. But the closer Evangeline and Chris get to exposing the truth—and to each other—the deeper Evangeline is drawn into a dangerous sting that could finally bring her justice…or put her dreams on hold permanently.She’ll fight for the life she always wanted…Everyone’s lives moved on while Evangeline’s stood still. Now she has a chance to rebuild her family ranch, her life, and expose the people who put her away, so she can become the woman she was always meant to be.
Until We Meet Again (Men of the Misfit Inn, #3.5)
Kait Nolan - 2021
Las Vegas offers the perfect playground to blow off some steam before getting to the serious work of deciding what to do with his life. He never expects that fun to include the high school crush who tutored him years ago.Samantha Ferguson arrives in Vegas for a friend's wedding only to get dumped by text. Desperate not to be the only single in a sea of couples, she makes an impulsive offer to the former bad boy she used to tutor in high school: Be her fake boyfriend for the weekend. Griff knows he's not the guy for Sam, but he can't resist saying yes for the chance to get to know this grown-up version of the girl who once starred in all his dreams. Turns out, there's not a lot of faking it involved. Between the single bed and the endless couples activities, new feelings flare from the old, until they both fall under the spell of Sin City. Will what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas? Or will one impulsive weekend be the start of a brand new forever?*NOTE TO READERS: This is a prequel novella and does not end with a HEA or HFN. Their story continues in COME A LITTLE CLOSER.
It Started with a Sunset
Meg Easton - 2021
Want to go on an adventure? She’s your gal. Want a serious relationship? She can probably introduce you to someone who does, but it’s not her.Brock McMillan spends his time striving for perfection, being a good older brother, and enjoying his job helping students get college scholarships. Oh, and disagreeing with Summer on pretty much everything that goes on in the office.Not that it’s purposeful. Their ideas are just kind of like their office spaces—Brock’s is minimalist and logical (but Summer will tell you it’s where ideas go to die) and Summer’s is lively, fun, and creative (but Brock will tell you it’s chaotic).They’re unwillingly teamed up to run Aquamoose Tracks together—the big overnight event put on by the Welcome Center at the university where they both work. And even though the event is literally all fun and games (and, okay, a healthy dose of info), neither of them thinks they’ll survive working together so closely.And they definitely never expect to fall in love.
Crazy For Love
Victoria Dahl - 2010
And then she got the really bad news: he'd tried to fake his own death to avoid marrying her. Now America's most famous bridezilla (a tag she most definitely does not deserve), Chloe escapes to a remote island to avoid the paparazzi. And right next door is a man who just might be the cure for Chloe's heartache....A magnet for wild, complicated women, Max Sullivan is relieved to have finally found someone "normal." Chloe is his girl-next-door fantasy come to life, and best of all, she gets him. With her, he can be himself, a treasure-hunting millionaire who desperately wants out of his sexy but reckless job. But when Chloe's notoriety catches up with them, will their torrid romance make it to the mainland?
I Wish for You
Camilla Isley - 2015
But now that she has seen him with another woman, and one she knows only too well, her life seems to have reached a whole new level of low. Yet, when she stumbles across an ancient object infused with magical powers and a stranger with a dark past appears out of nowhere promising to grant all her wishes, she finds herself hoping again. Suddenly Ally’s life is turned upside down; she has a mystery to solve, a rival to beat, a millenarian curse to break, and well, she wants to have some fun playing with her new “gifts”… But can she wish her way to happily ever after?
The Do-Over
Bethany Turner - 2022
Instead, she learns she’s being investigated for embezzlement. To wait out her unpaid leave, McKenna sublets her Upper West Side apartment and goes home to Durham, North Carolina, to save money. Saving face is going to be another thing entirely, but she assumes her problems will blow over soon.While living in her childhood hometown, McKenna learns about a family curse that—if real rather than imagined—could suggest she has less than a year to live. This information is troubling (of course!), but it’s the reunion with former classmate Henry—Durham’s favorite son—that flips her world upside down. Henry is now a celebrated documentarian, back in town to premiere his latest masterpiece. Vulnerable to (and desperately needing) a distraction as her life falls apart, McKenna begins seeing the shy nerd from high school in a whole new light.As she waits out the results of the investigation and wonders if her literal life is hanging in the balance, McKenna debates her future and questions her past. She might survive it all in one piece—but a new love and a newly-examined life might be the only things that can save her.
Fortune Favors the Sparrow
Rebecca Connolly - 2021
Clara Harlow is perfectly content with her life as a teacher of art and French at the Miss Masters Finishing School, so nothing startles her more than to discover that the school is far more than it seems, and its purposes more complicated than anything she could have imagined. She finds herself accepting an assignment from the highest powers in England to use her talents for a particular mission: to impersonate the ward of the late Duke of Kirklin, gain access to the estate, and to discern how a strip of the Kent coastline there is being used against the security of England.The present Duke of Kirklin, George Russell, better known as Hawk, does not know what to make of the appearance of the former ward of his late uncle, but he is captivated by her. Her skills in art are unlike anything he has ever seen, and her company grows more agreeable with every passing day. His boring, bachelor life grows less and less appealing, and the company within his walls more perfectly suited for the place than he ever dreamed.What could possibly go wrong?
Love Redesigned
Jenny Proctor - 2020
She only has one option: leave the city and go home to Charleston to throw herself on her twin brother’s mercy. The only problem? Alex lives in Charleston too. Stepson to Dani’s former boss, Alex had good reasons for ghosting Dani, especially since she was still loyal to head designer Sasha Wellington—the woman trying to take his stepfather's company down. But when Dani reappears in his life, his feelings quickly reignite, complicating everything. Despite their reservations, Alex and Dani find plenty of ways to spend time together. (A wedding dress heist? Why not?) As they unravel the real reasons why Alex left New York—and Dani—will they be able to rediscover the happily ever after they always hoped for?
Falling for Her Foe
Brenna Jacobs - 2019
Not even when she's forced to appear on a panel of writers with her archnemesis, loudmouth Aidan Maxwell, a wildly successful bestseller thanks to his lowbrow crime thrillers.His books outsell hers by millions, but even though he's the hottest thing in bookstores, Emma loathes everything he stands for: pretentious leather jackets, movie star good looks, shallow celebrity. And his books! Shudder. Car chases? Explosions? Blonde bombshell detectives? So gross.But Emma is finally on the verge of everything she's ever wanted: all she needs for her new book to become The Next Big Thing is for New York's most respected critic, Luther Van Dijk, to give it his stamp of approval. Maybe then her famous mother will take Emma's writing career seriously.One big problem: Aidan Maxwell blocks her at every turn. And the more they fight, the more she realizes that there's more to Aidan than a distractingly handsome face.As their paths keep crossing and sparks fly, can they see past their hardwired ideas to star in a love story all their own?
Only Ever Friends: A Clean Romantic Comedy
Shaela Kay - 2021
but is that how they're going to stay?When Amie's fianc� breaks off their engagement, she does what any rational, 24-year-old law student would do: eats her weight in Ben & Jerry's and pawns the ring her ex-fianc� could have sold a kidney for. But Amie's got more problems than her expanding waistline: her entire world was planned around (and by) Derek. Without him, she doesn't even know how she likes her coffee, let alone what she wants to do with her life.Jason is stuck running the family business, when all he really wants to do is make filet mignon and perfect his cr�me br�l�e. When his childhood friend shows up next door with a broken heart, he takes it upon himself to cheer her up, just like he did when they were kids. She's only around for the summer-what could possibly happen?Amie and Jason were only ever friends, so when sparks start to fly it catches them both off guard, especially since Jason's culinary dreams are about to come true and Amie finally has her life figured out. With summer drawing to a close and Amie heading back to school, will their friendship survive the tug-of-war between them? Or will the summer end with more than just Amie's broken heart?
Not My Romeo
Ilsa Madden-Mills - 2020
Somehow we end up at his penthouse. I blame the gin and tonic.The next day I learn he’s Jack Hawke—bad-boy professional quarterback with a murky past. The NDA he has me sign should be a warning that he isn’t a regular person. Please. I sign it Juliet Capulet, so goodbye, famous football player with abs of steel, and good luck tracking down this small-town librarian.But Jack keeps showing up in places I least expect him. Just when I’m sure he’s gone, he waltzes into my community theater and wins the part of Romeo to my Juliet. How’s a plain, mostly innocent girl like me supposed to resist a man like him?Is Jack my real Romeo… or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?
So Not My Thing
Melanie Jacobson - 2021
Combined.26-year-old New Orleans native Elle Jones used to be the internet's most famous meme for rejection thanks to an embarrassing teenage TV appearance. But she's finally put that past behind her and now she’s killing it as a commercial real estate agent in the coolest neighborhoods in the city.When Miles Crowe—the former pop star who made her notorious—insists on hiring her to find a property for his jazz club, she’ll do everything she can to get herself fired before he realizes who she is.But Miles has grown up too, and Elle soon discovers that he is as passionate about the city as she is…and even sexier now than he was then. Will she risk exposing her humiliating past to claim a future with the guy who once nearly ruined her life?Whitney Award winner Melanie Jacobson returns with her trademark wit and warmth in this delightful story about taking a chance on love.