Book picks similar to
Waking Up by Renee Dyer


new-adult
romance
contemporary-romance
contemporary

Kiss Cam


Anie Michaels - 2017
    She’d earned a promotion, was living the dream as a single gal in a big city, and treated herself to one of her favorite things – a professional basketball game. In Riley’s opinion, nothing ruined a good basketball game like the halftime gag, the Kiss Cam. When the camera lands on her and the sexy stranger in the next seat over, peer pressure from the arena forces them to kiss. It was supposed to be quick, meaningless, and comical. Instead the kiss was hot, delectable, and left her reeling. It hadn’t been a great night for Camden Rogers, son of Portland’s mayor. On a date with a woman he didn’t care for out of obligation to his politician father, meeting the sassy and intelligent Riley was the last thing he expected. Kissing her, however, was the hottest thing he’d ever experienced. Never one to back down from a challenge, convincing his hesitant kissing partner they could be more would be his biggest accomplishment yet. They came from two different worlds, a divide Riley was sure they couldn’t overcome, but Camden was convinced she was the one. Will Riley be able to let her guard down and let Camden in? Or will the Kiss Cam be their only sexy encounter? Author's Note: Kiss Cam was originally published in June of 2016 as a 19,000-word novella in the Passion in Portland anthology. I have added 55,000 new words and expanded the story into a full-length novel. If you read the original novella, you will not want to miss out on the expanded story. 18+ for mature content.

My Next Book Boyfriend


Vicki Green
    She loves her best friend, her job, and a good romance story. She lives in her dream world, being taken away to another place, another time. Her list of book boyfriends is a mile long. It grows almost daily but she loves them. Every. Single. One. Being the owner of a coffee shop is no easy task when you’re a bit of a klutz and are so shy you can’t form a coherent sentence when speaking to a guy. Every day is a new adventure in the land of hopeless romantics and the book boyfriends who enter her life. Literally.Come find out what happens when her next book boyfriend walks into her coffee shop.*This is intended for 18+ readers due to adult language and situations.

Chasing Nikki


Lacey Weatherford - 2012
    Caught up in a world of drugs and alcohol, he doesn't notice time slipping away until he's arrested for underage drinking one night.Fed up with watching her son destroy his life, Chase's mom relocates him to live in a small ranching community with his ex-military grandfather. Chase is far from happy about the situation until he meets, Nikki, the cute cheerleader who won't give football players like him the time of day.Chase enjoys a good challenge though and sets out to claim Nikki for his own. He soon discovers she's more than a pretty face--she's a balm to his troubled spirit also. But when tragedy strikes Nikki's life too, suddenly Chase finds himself put to the ultimate test. Can he trust Nikki, and all that she's taught him? Will it be enough?

Imperfect Love


Isabella White - 2015
    Everything a girl could want; a beautiful man, a stunning home, as well as being in the midst of preparing for the wedding of her dreams. This all vanishes the night she catches her fiancé, Brandon Morgan, in bed with her worst nightmare, Donna Sinclair, just a week before Holly is set to walk down the aisle. Attempting to recover from his betrayal, Holly swears off the affections of men in order to pick up the pieces of her crumbling life. Unfortunately, meeting Jake 'Hooligan' Peters is not part of her plan. The tall, dark-haired and handsome as hell med student, sweeps Holly away from the pain of her past and reveals to her the bright future that lies ahead. That is, until she falls pregnant just as Jake begins his internship at P&E; his family's hospital. Will this love at first sight lead her to the fairytale she has always craved? Or, will she fall victim to a betrayal of the heart yet again?

Within These Walls


J.L. Berg - 2014
    I am not strong. I am just a survivor of circumstance.Isn’t that what we all do? Survive?Each of us has our own set of circumstances to muddle through. Mine are just more…complicated. Born with a severe heart defect, I’ve seen the inside of a hospital room more than my own bedroom. I was drowning, a prisoner to the illness that owned me, until he appeared. He thinks he’s blocked out the world with his tattoos and hard exterior, but I see the real Jude, the one he so desperately wants to forget. But is he the answer to my prayers or will he break my already damaged heart forever?My name is Lailah Buchanan, and this is our story of hope, redemption and sacrificing it all for the one you love.

I Know Lucy


Melissa Pearl - 2014
    After witnessing the brutal murder of her parents, she's spent five years in hiding -- taking on different personas and faking her way through life. The authorities can't be trusted, so she remains in the shadows, always one beat ahead of the man who is forever hunting her. That is, until she meets Zach Schultz, a senior at Monte Vista High and the one guy she can’t bear to leave. Suddenly her natural instincts to lie, cheat, and run are overshadowed by something else...the desire to stay and perhaps, love. It’s her one shot at a normal life. Curious by nature, Zach is immediately drawn to the new girl at school. How can a person look both confident and vulnerable all in the same moment? Determined to figure Lucy out, he sets out to unravel the mystery that is her and soon finds himself caught up in a cat and mouse game. For the first time in his life he is faced with the reality that the truth can no longer set him free...if anything, it's going to get him killed.

Offbeat


S. Moose - 2015
    That’s not true. There are two types of love; the forever kind and the always kind. Forever love means you can’t live without that person. When you close your eyes the image you see is the two of you holding hands, sitting on the porch, and watching your grandchildren playing in the yard. You look over, smile, and whisper “we’ve lived a good life.”Always love means you keep that person in your heart. They’ve done something for you to make you realize who you are. This person means so much to you and lives in your heart.One night of truth.One night of passion.But all of that was taken in one night and I’m left alone.I’m fighting to breathe and holding onto the tiniest shred of hope I have. It’s a losing battle and I’m not sure how much more I can take. Every day is a struggle. That night still haunts me and I see his face. It’s been two years and slowly I’m piecing my life back together. Until one secret throws my life offbeat again.I'm Bayleigh Murphy, and this is my story, my journey of forever and always.

Love Me Crazy


M.N. Forgy - 2018
    He and I, both from traumatized families, found comfort in one another. The boy with the letterman jacket and charismatic smile. And me, his bohemian princess. The invisible string pulling us to one another despite the danger our love created.The town whispered about us.Our parents threatened us to stay away from one another.They tried to cut the string and keep us apart.We simply tied it in chaotic knots, with no hope for ever separating them.Together, we escaped and became the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. Our getaway filled with crime and passion.But will our unbreakable bond uphold the chaos fate brought us, or will our love bleed into a pool of crimson?

Undisputed


A.S. Teague - 2016
    Parties, women, fame—what more could I want? As the undisputed MMA light heavyweight champ, I’ve faced the world’s toughest men. But, with a single glance, I knew that the five-foot-five redhead with a smart mouth and innocent eyes would be my hardest opponent yet. Sidney O’Neil isn’t my type. While I spend my nights out drinking at the trendiest clubs in town, she spends hers taking care of her sick nephew. She is nothing I thought I wanted, yet she’s somehow become the one thing I need. But what happens when the world is tipped on end and I’m no longer who she needs? How do I convince her that we’re worth the fight when all she knows is defeat?I’ve never lost a match, and I refuse to start now.But, sometimes, the toughest fight of your life is outside the cage.

Ruined


Rachel Hanna - 2013
    A big one. And when she and her mother move cross country to protect that secret, her guard is up to protect her heart.When she meets handsome Reed Miller, she feels her walls start tumbling down and the fear is overwhelming. If he finds out her secret, will he hate her forever?Just when she thinks things are settling down, a new house guest makes her second guess everything she knows to be true about who she is and what she wants.Caught between her past life and her new one - and two sexy men - will choose to be alone or fight for her own happiness?

Save Me From Myself


Stacey Lewis - 2014
    I tried to be the perfect daughter and fiancee, but after the people who are supposed to love me the most betrayed me, those days are done.I’m ready for a fresh start - and this time a relationship won’t define who I am.That means: No men.No complications.No turning back. At least, that was the plan before I met him.He wants me…And he’s not about to take no for an answer.

Take Care, Sara


Lindy Zart - 2013
    Sara Walker knows firsthand what it feels like to have your reality ripped away, scrambled, and shoved back at you in an undone puzzle where pieces are missing and nothing fits. She's lost so much and is struggling to live and to find the strength to forgive herself for being human. With the help of Lincoln, her husband's brother, Sara realizes it's not about finding who she used to be, but about finding who she is now.You breathe in, you breathe out, and everything you know isn't gone, but reborn.

Almost Matched


A.O. Peart - 2013
    SECOND EDITION released in Sept 2016Would you take another shot at love? Or just settle on a friend with benefits?THEIR HEARTBREAKING PAST WILL MOVE YOU. THEIR PASSION WILL MAKE YOU BLUSH. THEIR ANTICS WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD. Twenty-five-year-old Natalie Davenport lugs substantial baggage. One boyfriend after the next has been a total disaster, leaving Natalie distrustful toward the male population in general. So when Colin Hampton crosses her path, she’s cautious. Her heart (and some other body parts!) nudges her to go for it, while her head wants her to run for the hills.Colin is one of those gorgeous guys who attract women, no matter the age or marital status. With a successful career at a popular Seattle radio station, hard body, and charming personality, he is the complete package. But something dark lurks in the corners of his soul; some murky experience that has changed him—maybe for the better, but maybe for the worse.Will he steal her heart and stomp over it like other guys did? Will she let him into her heavily fortified world despite herself?Or will they settle somewhere in the middle—establishing the emotional boundaries to protect them from falling in love?***********************************This dark romantic comedy blends humor, sensuality, and angst, with zany characters and witty dialogue. ***Warning: contains sexual situations (some quite vivid!), profanity, and a high dose of sarcasm. Oh, and there is a lot of appletini and beer drinking. May not be appropriate for readers under 18 years old. Not intended for prudes and killjoys with no sense of humor***THE SERIES:The Almost Bad Boys series are the stories of four feisty twenty-something women who refuse to let their past drag them down.***The books in the Almost Bad Boys series are best read in order. They are not stand-alone books, although these are three different stories/no cliffhangers:Almost Matched (book 1)Almost Broken Up (book 2)Almost Too Far (book 3)***

Cabin Fever


Elizabeth Lynx - 2019
    The mountains are so romantic, they said. They’ve obviously never been a runaway bride. Olivia Love has it all. She’s rich, spoiled, and about to marry the man of her dreams—until she witnesses her fiancée with someone else, sending her on a little run. Down the side of a mountain. In her wedding dress. When she finds a cabin in the woods, her relief is short-lived at discovering it to be empty. No phone, no heat, and no way back to her perfect little life. That is until a gun-toting mountain man fills the space and sends her heart rate skyrocketing. Carter Fitzwilliam likes the simple things in life. His sheep farm, his privacy, and man’s best friend are all he needs until a smart-mouthed beauty in a white dress breaks into his cabin and threatens to complicate the hell out of everything. Will these two opposites attract or push each other over the mountain?

Piper Dreams Part One


Amélie S. Duncan - 2016
    He's looking for an escape. Together, they just might find what they both need. Journalist hopeful, Piper Rowe is searching for a story--the perfect lead to get her a coveted spot on a prestigious journalism team. Running into a cross-country biker group just might be the serendipitous happening she needs. The only problem? The sexy and protective gatekeeper, Brody Whitehurst doesn't want her tagging along, refusing to let her document the trip. But after a threatening altercation riles him, Brody relents, suddenly feeling the need to protect Piper. As Piper and Brody begin their quest to realize their dreams, they discover running is never the answer. Can two people, one with a broken past, one with an uncertain future, find what they're looking for on the open road? This is Part One of a Three Part Contemporary Romance Trilogy. This story contains adult situations, themes, and explicit sexual content.