Book picks similar to
The Ugly Duckling by Annabelle Costa
romance
chick-lit
contemporary
ebook
My Despicable Ex
Sierra Rose - 2013
He wants her back…with a vengeance.Ashly Roberts and Jake Connors are barely twenty when they decide to take the proverbial plunge and walk down the aisle to exchange vows in front of the dearly beloved. Basking in bridal bliss, Ashly feels she is living the perfect fairytale, until she’s faced with a runaway groom, dumped at the altar by bad-boy fiancé, Jake Connors.Five years later, Jake steps back into her life, realizing that being a no-show for their nuptials was the worst mistake of his life. A little older and slightly more mature, he is ready to fight for Ashly’s love once again. When Ashly sees him, she can’t deny the attraction she feels, but her hormones are overruled by the horror of what he did to her in the past. Nevertheless, Jake’s most potent weapon, those dazzling baby blues, ignites a spark in Ashly, no matter how angry she wants to be. She cannot deny the spark, and she only hopes the inferno it ignites will not consume her heart again.*This is NOT erotica* This is a love story and a romance. Ashly is a photographer and took this hot, shirtless picture of Jake before they broke up. He hopes they can rekindle the magic and re-take this picture.*This is a two book series* (All of your answers won't be answered in book 1)
A Royal Shade of Blue
Aven Ellis - 2018
He has a royal secret. Will the truth help them find their fairy tale?When art history student Clementine receives a social media message complimenting her latest project, her response leads to the mysterious CP Chadwick, a British man studying history at Cambridge. An online friendship quickly blooms. When she confides her medical past to CP, he doesn’t treat her as fragile like her parents do, and their friendship turns to something more in Clementine’s heart.Clementine has no idea that CP is actually Prince Christian of Wales, who has never had a “normal” life. Christian is at a crossroad. His destiny is to be a working royal, but he is desperate to fill that role in his own way. Wary of others, he’s kept himself closed off from the world—until he lets Clementine in. A royal romance is never a fairy tale, but Clementine and Christian are determined to write their own version. Can they overcome their own fears—as well as the constraints of a royal life—to reach their own happily ever after?A Royal Shade of Blue is the first standalone book in the feel-good Modern Royals romantic comedy series. If you like smart heroines, swoon-worthy princes, and laugh-out-loud humor, then you’ll love Aven Ellis’s heartwarming novel.
Cowboy for a Season
Janalyn Knight - 2019
Years of trying and failing to bear a child have given her an air of sadness overlaid with a hardened determination to persevere. Hiring Brazilian Professional Bull Rider, Alex, who is on a slow road to recovery from potentially career-ending injuries, will help Hanna get her wheat in before the fall rains come. The handsome cowboy makes it clear that he will return to bull riding before the start of the new PBR season in January. Alex didn’t count on his ex-wife dropping off his toddler daughter Chloe without warning. Hannah didn’t count on caring for the cowboy or his precious daughter. Despite his love for Chloe and the way he cares for Hannah, Alex’s goal remains the same—to return to bull riding, the only life he’s ever wanted. Three hearts hang in the balance, and one decision will break them all. If you like hot cowboys, strong women, and ranching in the new West, then this book will have you burning through the pages.
Touch Me Again
C. Morgan - 2021
But that was years ago. And we’re both all grown up now. He’s hotter than sin and has a smile that leaves me and my friends panting for his attention. It’s spring break and I need time with the girls on the beach. Florida should do the trick. Never in a million years did I expect Hudson Philips to be there. Memories of him bullying and teasing me mercilessly roll through me in waves, but we’re not kids anymore, and those aren’t the only waves he’s making. He’s damned determined to get back into my good graces, and he’s working every angle possible to make sure it happens. As hard as I try to deny him, he quickly becomes the only thing I can think about. But the minute I let down my guard, he puts his up again. He’s not looking for a long-term love affair. I wish he were, but for now, I simply want him to touch me again.
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.
Beauty and the Beast
K.M. Shea - 2013
A small miscalculation sends her through the roof of an enchanted chateau. Stranded until her broken leg mends, Elle is forced to rely on the good will of the sour chateau owner —the cursed Prince Severin. Prince Severin—the commanding general and staunch supporter of his brother the crown prince—is cursed to look like a beast until a maiden falls in love with him. However, he has given up all hope of shattering the curse after several painful and failed attempts to break it. As such he has only disdain for Elle, leaving her to the devices of his bossy servants. This suits Elle perfectly as she dislikes the entire royal family, Severin included. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting pair, the chateau servants are determined to break the curse and spend the majority of their time pushing Elle and Severin together. After bonding over gardens, animals, and terrifying squirrels Elle and Severin show signs of friendship, and perhaps something more… But not all love stories can end that easily. After all, Elle is not what she seems, and Severin’s life is placed in danger when hostilities flare between his brother and the monarchs of a neighboring country. If they really want the love of a lifetime Elle, a loyal liar, and Severin, an indifferent beast, will have to use every trick they know to survive.
Note to Self: Change the Locks
Heather Balog - 2013
Her annoying ex-husband, Simon has been "displaced" after forgetting to pay his rent and has nowhere to go. As much as she seethes at the sight of him, Elizabeth can't turn her back on the man who was once the love of her life. After all, they were happily married for two years before "the incident" ripped them apart. There's just one teensy problem. Elizabeth's fiance, Austin, has no idea that she was previously married. Nor is he aware that Simon is bunking with his future bride. Elizabeth must keep the two away from each other until she is ready to come clean about her marriage and divorce. This proves exhausting in close quarters while planning a wedding. As Elizabeth and Austin prepare for their upcoming nuptials, it gets more and more difficult to hide the truth from Austin. Especially, when Elizabeth is starting to have doubts about what the truth really is.
Practice Cake
Dalya Moon - 2011
All it takes is one of his sly winks or a playful hip-check by the cooler, and she’s incinerating the cookies. Her boyfriend would not approve.When a reality TV crew descends upon the bakery, her simple summer job gets even more complicated. Maddie could become the Bakery Network’s next breakout star, if she can handle the heat of being cast as a show villain. Drew has an alternate idea: run away from everything, with him and his sexy tousled hair. She decides to take the leap, but when she finds out Drew’s been hiding a shocking secret, Maddie looks down at her packed suitcase and takes a moment to think. Should she fly off to Australia with a guy she hardly knows, or should she pick up her suitcase and hit him with it?Chock full of imperfect people behaving badly, Practice Cake is for readers who enjoy a good laugh.
Bouquet Toss
Melissa Brown - 2012
Be it a blessing or a curse, Daphne (a hopeless romantic and perpetual single girl) catches the bouquet at every single wedding she attends. Daphne’s love life is a mess. Her first love, Mayson, haunts her heart and keeps her from pursuing happiness with any man who comes along. As she struggles to move on from the one who got away, Daphne wonders if she will ever break her curse and find her happily ever after.
Just One Chance
C.A. Harms - 2017
You left me in a terrible haze, and I can’t find my god damn wallet. Or my left shoe. How the hell does one lose their shoe? I have no f*cking clue. All I know is that my night started out with one thing in mind…to have a little fun. The problem with that? I can’t remember a damn thing, except one. Morgan’s soft and needy moans. It’s a sound I will never forget, and just thinking about it makes my heart race and my pulse quicken. And I want to hear it over and over again…I crave it. But Morgan’s a mystery. The harder I try, the more she resists. There’s one thing she doesn’t know about me though…I’m not one to give up. I’ll play her game. I’ll let her think she’s won. But in the end, I will have her. Because all I need is Just One Chance to prove she’s meant for me…
The Seven Steps to Closure
Donna Joy Usher - 2012
Things go from bad to worse when she discovers that, not only is her ex-husband engaged to her cousin - Tash, the woman he left her for - but that Jake is also running for Lord Mayor of Sydney.Desperate to leave the destructive relationship behind and with nothing to lose, she decides- with encouragement from her three best friends - to follow the dubious advice from a magazine article, Closure in Seven Easy Steps.The Seven Steps to Closure follows Tara on her sometimes disastrous- always hilarious - path to achieve the seemingly impossible.
Where I Found You
Brooke O'Brien - 2017
After the childhood I survived, I built a wall and locked it away. I would never let anyone in. Never let anyone close enough to take more than I was willing to give. Starting over in a new town is hard, but running from my past left me no choice. I was desperate to say goodbye to the memories that held me captive. The pain I’ve experienced is more than anyone should have to bear. Then I met him...He takes my breath away. I can’t ignore the way he makes me feel. I know he has the power to destroy me.And that's what scares me the most.Author's Note: This is Book One in the Heart's Compass series. It can be read as a standalone and has a HEA. Due to strong sexual content, coarse language and mature subject matter, this book is not suitable for under the age of 18.