Book picks similar to
The Kissing Ball by Aubree Lane


short-story
arc
contemporary
reviewed-by-me

Beignets and Mistletoe: A BBW & Military Man Christmas Romance


Lana Love - 2020
    I'm ready to settle down and start a family.My new commission comes unexpectedly at Christmas time, but my parents are on a Caribbean cruise. Not wanting me to spend Christmas on my own, my mom contacts her best friend and makes arrangements for me to join them for their Christmas vacation New Orleans.Honestly, I'd have rather been on my own, at home, instead of travelling to yet another new city.And then I see Marian. My mom never said her friend's daughter grew up to be such a beauty, not to mention an ambitious teacher who's devoted to being the best educator she can be. Between her brains, her beauty, and her wicked curves, the only question is how fast can I get her under the mistletoe and give her the first of a lifetime of kisses?Beignets and Mistletoe is book 2 in the series A Cajun Christmas. This is a short and sizzling romance, perfect for a pick-me-up during your day or just before bed. Guaranteed HEA, no cheating, no past relationship drama -- just two people discovering their perfect match and starting a sizzling future together.A CAJUN CHRISTMAS is a series of short & steamy standalone romances! Make sure to check out all the books!Wild Jazz and Mistletoe by Beatrice BraeBeignets and Mistletoe by Lana LovePralines and Mistletoe by Kate HuntBourbon under Mistletoe by Alice May BallCaroling and Mistletoe by Lauren Milson

Cowboy Walking Away


Jessie Gussman - 2022
    His wife left him and he’s ready to come home and settle down.But he needs a caregiver and the one that seems to have fallen into his lap is his Dating Game partner and also the woman he’s agreed to “fake-date.”Only neither one of them are good liars and their straw house could never survive the wild North Dakota wind…or could it?Do they have the character and faith to face their problems and build a solid foundation together?Books in the Coming Home to North Dakota Series:Cowboy Walking Away Cowboy Coming HomeCowboy Finding Love

My High School Christmas Boyfriend


Kylie Key - 2019
    But then, in a Cinderella reversal, he was gone! And I was left musing over the boy who had set my heart on fire. Can I find him again, and will I get my happy ending with the boy from the Christmas Dance?

Only You


Heatherly Bell - 2017
    Give a guy a private lingerie show and suddenly everyone in town is talking about you. Again. But Mallory wants to stay in Starlight Hill permanently, the one place she feels safe, even if the only men interested in her now are SLs (stripper lovers.) His contract with the U.S. Army complete, Ranger Liam Turlock is stateside again, and must decide whether he’ll re-up for another four. He’s been invited for a stay in Starlight Hill and some much needed R&R. Liam suspects this is just the Turlocks’ intrusive way of fixing him up. They’ve got their choices lined up for him and he’s not interested in any of them. When Liam meets Mallory while hiding behind a rack of banana hammocks at the Tatas and More lingerie shop (don’t ask) he has an idea. He and Mallory will pretend to date so that 1. Mallory can repair her good time girl image; and 2. Liam can get his family off his back. So for now, or at least until Liam goes back home to Colorado, he and Mallory are a thing to anyone who asks, especially anyone with the last name of Turlock. But fake has never been so real… **ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AS 'FOREVER MY GIRL' IN 2016, PART OF THE ST. HELENE VINEYARD KINDLE WORLD. INCLUDES A NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED EPILOGUE.**

The Popcorn Prince


Johanna Evelyn - 2018
     Amy has officially put dating on the back burner after a string of noncommittal relationships. But when she accidentally brushes her hand against a handsome stranger's one night at a movie theater, her heart decides it has other plans—until she realizes her handsome prince brings a new girl to the theater almost every weekend. This doesn’t stop her from admiring him from afar, while she and her twin brother make up outlandish stories about him every time he comes to the theater. But when their worlds collide, she needs to decide if she will open her heart and take another chance on a man, or push him away after she’s done with his services. Steven has waited months to ask out a girl he’s only had a few brief interactions with. But every time he tries, she runs away from him. His coworkers step in with a plan to put his bachelor days behind him. But the fun and games come with a price tag, as his Cinderella stands to lose something much more valuable than a glass slipper. Other titles by this author: The Billionaire Club Series The Billionaires Secret The Billionaires Conflict Excerpt from this book: “She moved to the edge where the prince was still standing. His eyes were bright as she stepped next to him then her mind went blank as panic set in. This man was on a date with another woman. She was crazy. She stood awkwardly trying to form a coherent sentence. He smiled down at her and her heart skipped at the satisfaction in his eyes. “I left your hot sauce at home,” he said, breaking her awkward silence. She gasped at his unexpected words, shifting uncomfortably. She needed to pull it together. She felt like an awkward teenager. “Didn’t I see you with someone?” she asked, grasping at anything her brain could find in her muddied state. “She’ll be back in a minute.” He glanced back to the restroom and Amy followed his gaze. “I’m sorry about that,” Amy said the next thing her scattered mind thought of. He lifted an eyebrow at her, a smile playing at the edge of his lips. “That my date will be back.” She laughed out loud before cupping her hand to her mouth. She dropped her hands in embarrassment. “No, sorry. I’m sorry for throwing popcorn at you.” “That was definitely unexpected.” She bit her bottom lip, unsure of what she should ask next. If she ever needed saving, now would be perfect timing. Too bad she didn’t have twin telepathy.”

Church Bells


Jennifer Rebecca - 2017
    The battle hardened former Marine lives to protect his hometown, Mason, Texas and the people who live and love there. Abigail Williams did a bad, bad thing. Trapped in a dangerous situation with no end in sight, Abigail made a difficult choice and now she is living with the consequences, and those consequences are a life on the run—a new name in a new town.

Shortbread & the Scotsman


Lana Dash - 2021
    Our village is known for many festivals, but nothing compares to the Christmas Matchmaking Festival. People visit from all over the Highlands, but there is only one Scotsman that I wish to be matched with this Christmas. But after a kiss and a misunderstanding over the summer, he's given me the cold shoulder. Can the festivities of the holiday warm his heart and show him that my feelings haven't changed?DOUGALIt's only ever been her, but when she breaks my heart after a kiss that I thought would change everything, I'm not willing to put my heart on the line again. But things start to heat up when we are pushed to work together in my family's bakery for the Christmas Matchmaking Festival. Will the magic of the season give us a second chance at love?Sugar & Spice Nights is a multi-author series of holiday inspired instalove, curvy woman and hot guys stories. Come find out how hot and sweet the nights can get today!

The Proposal


M.V. Kasi - 2018
    If she didn’t marry the man her parents had chosen for her, they would lose everything. Nandini wasn’t willing to sacrifice her life for the sake of paying her father’s gambling debts. And the groom, while handsome and very successful, was not the kind her parents would ever pick under ideal circumstances. In fact, he would be the most unsuitable groom since he didn't have a long line of royal ancestors like Nandini's family. But something about the groom’s proposal touched Nandini's heart. Will Nandini agree to marry the man her parents had picked? Find out in—The Proposal Note: This is a fictional short story with an approximate length of 4500 words or 25 pages. It is a lighthearted and clean romance that is meant for entertainment purposes only.

Hot Mess Christmas Express


Claire Hastings - 2021
    Sienna is a hot mess. But after just one night together, a mix-up causes this delightfully dreamy doctor to freeze out the reluctant pharmaceutical sales rep.For two years, Caleb has given Sienna the silent treatment until a holiday wedding at the Seven Swans Inn forces him to acknowledge her existence again. And despite their chilly past, the forecast for Christmas quickly becomes hot and steamy.'Tis the season for mistletoe kisses, but when the magic wears off will this second chance be nothing more than a second heartbreak?

Season of Romance


Alexa Verde - 2019
    A small-town paramedic in need of healing... Will a season of romance bring them together or pull them apart? Businessman Andrey Sergeyev's organized life changes in ways he never planned when he becomes guardian of his orphaned nephew. He moves to small town Rios Azules to care for grieving Ilya in the boy's familiar environment. Andrey's fiancée breaks off the engagement because of Ilya's health challenges. Another romance is not on Andrey's agenda, no matter how much paramedic Melinda Macalister attracts him with her sweet smile, kindness, and neighborly support for Ilya...Melinda isn't looking for love, either, especially after her last boyfriend left her because of her health issues. She'll just have to hide her crush on her new neighbor. He's going back to Houston soon anyway. But she can't refuse to help him with Ilya, who needs her more than ever. Problem is, the more she gets to know Andrey, the more she realizes he might be the one for her.Will Andrey and Melinda choose to keep holding on to old hurts? Or will they find love in Rios Azules, Texas?This book, Season of Romance, was first published as Love's Ransom, as part of the First Street Church Kindle World. The book has been revised, improved, and greatly expanded in length, so it's nearly twice longer.

Hannah's Holiday Wish


Sophie Mays - 2019
     ♥ When Hannah Wyatt returns home to her family's Colorado ranch for the holiday season, she thinks the biggest surprise is the early inheritance of land parcels that her parents are gifting her and her four siblings. Little does she know that her pen-pal from the UK is about to add to the exciting homecoming! Especially when she realizes that the British friend she thought she knew, is ready to unveil a surprising twist…one that has the ability to throw an additional wrench into Hannah’s new life equation... ~From sweeping scenery to trusting-your-heart life decisions to magical snowstorms~ Join Hannah and her family as they navigate the long holiday season: A fun and bumpy ride starting with a heartwarming Thanksgiving, snowshoeing through a perfect Rocky Mountain Christmas, and into what just may be a very, merry New Year!

Lucas


Avery North - 2020
    After breaking up with reality TV star Nancy Patterson he decides to leave love alone and focus on his business, helped by a suggestion from an old college friend that they become friends with benefits.Everything in Lucas’s life is going great until he meets gorgeous baker and charity founder Sammy Wicker, and his world is turned on its head. Thoughts of her take over his mind, and he embarks on a quest to know this beautiful independent woman better.Things seem to be on track for the two until Lucas is hired to sell the building Sammy’s bakery is located in, promising to make his company a lot of money. However, the new owner is kicking out the existing businesses for their own plans and Sammy is furious that Lucas is part of it, breaking up with him and refusing to see him.Can Lucas find his way back to Sammy’s heart or will their businesses get in the way of their relationship?

Finding Her Cowboy


Sarah Gay - 2020
    Without the help of her mysterious benefactor cowboy, she would have never opened her doors. Will she ever find her cowboy?Jack Jones is moving to Dallas, but when he meets Becca, his back-door neighbor, he has a change of heart. She has a garden that needs tending and he needs her. Will he convince her that he’s the man she’s been searching for, or will she continue to push him away?

Royal Distraction (Destination Billionaire Romance Book 8)


Lucy McConnell - 2017
    A private security company has bled the royal treasury dry leaving a bad taste in her mouth for privateers. Fully aware of her innocence, having been raised on a small island in the Emerald Sea, Nyssa is determined to be the means of salvation for her people and her family. Tatum Scott is a retired SEAL turned private security mogul—and, he’s been taken out of the game while he recuperates from a bullet to the shoulder. He wouldn’t mind a contract on a small island where he can semi-retire, but schmoozing royals and dancing at balls is way out of his comfort zone. On her first night in America, Nyssa hosts a ball. Following tradition, she stands at the door to greet her guests. When a handsome stranger mistakes her for the coat-check girl, she doesn’t bother to correct him. When he flirts, his blue eyes spark and she doesn’t want to correct him. Over the course of her visit, Tatum becomes a distraction from her mission, one she cannot afford. She’ll need to find a way to win America’s support and keep her identity a secret or risk the lives of her family, the island she loves, and the man who has captured her heart.

Dancing Under the Mistletoe (The Sweater #12)


Anita Knight - 2020