Book picks similar to
Painting Kisses by Melanie Jacobson


romance
lds-fiction
clean-romance
contemporary

Beyond Perfection


Erin Ann McBride - 2005
    . .her teenage sister is spinning wildly out of control . . . her twin sister's childhood sweetheart is being lured away from her . . . her overzealous home teacher has stalker tendencies . . . Lizzie Benson's world couldn't be further from perfect, and the last thing she needs is a man to complicate her life. But then she meets then "untouchable " Will Pemberley - the outrageously cute institute president who thinks all coeds are on the hunt for a husband. When Will asks Lizzie out, she is determined to show him how "not on the hunt" she is.

Playing with Matches


Hannah Orenstein - 2018
    But when her dream career falls through, she uses her family’s darkest secret to land a job as a matchmaker for New York City’s elite at the dating service Bliss.Despite her inexperience, Sasha throws herself into her new career, trolling for catches on Tinder, coaching her clients through rejection, and dishing out dating advice to people twice her age. She sets up a TV exec who wanted kids five years ago, a forty-year-old baseball-loving virgin, and a consultant with a rigorous five-page checklist for her ideal match.Sasha hopes to find her clients The One, like she did. But when Jonathan betrays her, she spirals out of control—and right into the arms of a writer with a charming Southern drawl, who she had previously set up with one of her clients. He’s strictly off-limits, but with her relationship on the rocks, all bets are off.Fresh, sweet, and laugh-out-loud funny, Playing with Matches is the addictive story about dating in today’s swipe-heavy society, and a young woman trying to find her own place in the world.

The Cul-de-Sac War


Melissa Ferguson - 2020
    She’s had more jobs than she can count, and she plans to move as soon as the curtains fall on her less-than-minor stage role at The Barter—the oldest live performance theater in the US. But just when it’s time to move on again, Bree’s parents make her an offer: hold steady for a full year, and they will give her the one thing she's always wanted—her grandmother’s house. Her dreams are coming true . . . until life at the theater throws her some curve balls.And then there’s Chip McBride—her handsome and infuriating next-door neighbor.Chip just might be the only person whose stubborn streak can match Bree’s. She would move heaven and earth to have him off her cul-de-sac and out of her life, but according to the bargain she’s struck, she cannot move out of her house and away from the man who’s making her life miserable. So begins Bree’s obsessive new mission: to drive Chip out of the neighborhood—and fast.Bree isn't the only one who’s a tad competitive, and Chip is more than willing to fight fire with fire. But as their pranks escalate, the line between love and hate starts to blur—and their heated rivalry threatens to take a hilarious, heartwarming, and romantic new turn. A sweet romantic comedy that can be read as a standalone.Book length: 77,000 words.

Altar-Ed Plans


Rebecca Talley - 2009
    The perfect marriage. The perfect groom. What could go wrong?Caitlyn has been preparing for her perfect wedding all her life. But when her fiancé abandons her at the altar, Caitlyn vows she'll never love again. Going to BYU doesn't make that easy, however, and avoiding all social contact can only last so long. When her bishop calls her to be the mom of her Family Home Evening group, Caitlyn is suddenly thrust into surprising circumstances that leave her flustered the attention of two unwanted suitors.Travis, the FHE dad, has plans to woo Caitlyn by using his cowboy charms while Chase has his own ideas for dating her. Will Travis or Chase change her mind about love? Or will it be déjà vu? Follow Caitlyn through all the flirtatious looks, dates, ex-girlfriends, and unexpected surprises.

The Accidental Marriage


Annette Haws - 2013
    Thinking their passion would conquer all, they never anticipated that cooking mishaps, laundry disasters, and a tug-of-war with a possessive mother-in-law could push them to the brink of divorce so quickly. If their marriage is going to survive, Nina and Elliot must not let pride stand in the way of their promise.

My Fair Lacey & A Perfect Fit


Janette Rallison - 2018
    When Garrett Halifax, her roommate's Harvard-educated brother, offers to help her clean up her appearance and manner to impress the bank manager, she jumps at the chance - but will she be able to keep up appearances without falling for the sexy Garrett? In "A Perfect Fit" Rallison Jojo Halifax believes that winning Echo Ridge's float competition is just what her fledgling art career needs. And if that means giving her ex-boyfriend, Anthony, a second chance so she can be a designer on his team, well, she's willing to make the sacrifice. But when a lost bet leads to a blind date with her brother's friend, Wyatt, she begins to have second thoughts about second chances. Wyatt is handsome and charming and just might have been paid to make her forget about Anthony. Is falling for his charm worth the risk or should she take Anthony back again?

My Fair Gentleman


Nancy Campbell Allen - 2016
    Instead, he finds that inheriting his grandfather's wealth and title—and securing the welfare of his sister and mother—means joining the ranks of high society and living with the aristocracy. Luckily, Ivy Carlisle, the granddaughter of a dear friend of Jack's late grandmother, is willing to teach him etiquette and properly introduce him into society. Jack soon learns that his challenge isn't surviving his new lifestyle but surviving the conspiracies against him—as well as keeping himself from falling madly in love with his new tutor.

Heart of Gold


Jeanette Miller - 2015
    A year after the tragic death of her husband, the young widow discovers a horrifying secret. Heartbroken and humiliated, she resolved that no one could ever know. Now, back in her hometown with her three-year-old daughter, she’s ready for a fresh start. But Ashlyn is unprepared to find that an embarrassing memory, buried deep in her past, is about to resurface... Ryan Anderson was the last person Ashlyn expected to see. After the unexpected kiss they’d shared years earlier, she assumed she’d never see him again. Though she tries to avoid him at all costs, Ashlyn finds herself running into her former flame far more often than she’d like. Between her uncomfortable history with Ryan and the series of well-meaning suitors pursuing her, Ashlyn finds herself disenchanted with dating altogether. Yet as she and Ryan slowly become reacquainted, she feels her resolve to avoid a relationship slipping. But when moving forward with Ryan means revealing the secret she’s worked so hard to keep, will Ashlyn have the courage to leave behind her late husband’s legacy of deceit and learn to love again?

Mismatched in Love: Almost Cinderella (Almost a Fairytale #1)


Jolene Betty Perry - 2015
    But with a scholarship to BYU and a membership to a church that suits her better than she imagined, Avery’s life is definitely turning around. With tattooed arms and worn out boots, she doesn’t exactly blend into the conservative school, but after a day or two in her new political science classes, Avery knows she chose well. Aaron Price has gotten almost everything he’s ever asked for. But when the girl everyone assumes he’ll marry, ends up not being the one, Aaron swears off dating--at least until graduation. It’s okay. He’s found a new friend in Avery, and she doesn’t mind helping his pathetic scheme to use her to keep the girls away. Problem is, the more time Aaron spents with Avery, the more he realizes she might be the one. And falling in love with your best friend isn’t as easy as one might think...

The Secret Journal of Brett Colton


Kay Lynn Mangum - 2005
    Her family talks as if he were perfect! All Kathy knows for sure is that Brett is dead. He died of leukemia when he was sixteen and she was only two. But when Kathy turns sixteen, she discovers her brother s hidden journal - a journal written especially for her - and learns about the brother she never knew. At the same time, Kathy is mortified by an assignment to tutor the popular high school quarterback Jason West, a football jock who, even worse, is a Mormon. Author Kay Lynn Mangum brilliantly weaves the dual stories of a dying brother and a coming-of-age sister who learn the importance of loving our family and our friends and nurturing our faith.

Methods of Madness


Stephanie Black - 2009
    She deserves another chance at happiness and gentle, adorable Zach Sullivan is the perfect man to mend her shattered heart. But from the moment Emily opens the hand-carved box holding a glittering diamond solitaire, she's seized by an unshakable fear: she's going to lose Zach.That's exactly what Monica, Zach's ex-girlfiend, is banking on. Bitter with envy, Monica will stop at nothing to sabotage Zach and Emily's romance. A troubling note shows up in Emily's mailbox, fanning the flames of suspicion. A bloody photograph sends her reeling. But when someone is brutally murdered, will Emily be able to ecape suspicion and the possiblity that she might be next?

Welcome to Last Chance


Cathleen Armstrong - 2013
    But as she encounters the people who make Last Chance their home, it’s her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life for Lainie’s comfort-especially since she’s on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.Yet in spite of herself, Lainie finds that she is increasingly drawn in to the dramas of small town life. An old church lady who always has room for a stranger. A handsome bartender with a secret life. A single mom running her diner and worrying over her teenage son. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little hick town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?Cathleen Armstrong pens a debut novel filled with complex, lovable characters making their way through life and relationships the best they can. Her evocative descriptions, observational humor, and talent at rendering romantic scenes will earn her many fans.

Puzzle Pieces


Betsy Brannon Green - 2015
    With nothing but the clothes on her back, her escape from the ruthless manipulations of her former fiancé leaves her with little time to hide. There is only one person to whom she can turn, only one place she may be safe . . . Haggerty, Georgia, is known for its Southern hospitality and quirky inhabitants. For Presley, her Aunt Violet’s home in the tiny town is a lifesaving haven. Her aunt, along with a cast of delightful friends and neighbors, warmly welcomes her. For the first time in so long, she feels hope—a hope that hinges on hiding her past. But the dreams of solitude that she had envisioned quickly fade when a disturbing discovery is made in her aunt’s backyard: a human skeleton. At the first hint of crime, Haggerty’s own amateur sleuth, Miss Eugenia, is on the case. Along with handsome Haggerty resident Mac and sprightly ninety-nine-year-old Loralee, Presley is quickly drawn into a mystery spanning generations of Haggerty’s history. But when news coverage of the investigation digs up Presley’s own secrets, it’s up to her new friends to come to her aid, by whatever means necessary.

Masquerade


Sierra St. James - 2001
    Bring in Slade, a handsome Hollywood star, also divorced and also LDS, in desperate need of a nanny for Bella, his four-year-old whirlwind of a daughter. Throw them together in Hawaii and the scene would be set for the perfect romance – except that Clarissa had to pretend to be married to get the job in the first place, and now she doesn't dare tell Slade other-wise.What if he fires her for her little masquerade? Or worse – what if he despises her and never wanted to see her again? Join Clarissa as she finds herself swept up in a maelstrom of glamor, mixed messages and tabloid mayhem that leads to a delicious resolution. Masquerade is a funny, romantic adventure that you're sure to love.

Mile 21


Sarah G. Dunster - 2013
    But after the unexpected death of her husband (and after being kicked out of her mom’s place), she has to move into single-student housing to finish up her schooling. Maybe training for a marathon and winning the heart of the handsome executive secretary are exactly what Abish needs to get a personal best.