Book picks similar to
Holding on to Hurt by Charlotte Roth


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Felicity at the Cross Hotel


Helena Fairfax - 2017
    A few weeks hiking and swimming should restore her.But then the hotel’s new owner, Patrick Cross, takes Felicity for the replacement barmaid, and things don’t turn out quite to plan. With a grumpy chef, a waiter with love troubles, and the old Tudor building in need of renovation, Felicity’s quiet break soon turns into a working holiday.But Patrick’s dreams lie beyond the mountains, and Felicity’s loyalties lie with her family, and anyway, holidays can’t last forever...can they?

Little Boy Lost


J.D. Trafford - 2017
    But when eight-year-old Tanisha Walker offers him a jar full of change to find her missing brother, he doesn’t have the heart to turn her away.Justin had hoped to find the boy alive and well. But all that was found of Devon Walker was his brutally murdered body—and the bodies of twelve other African American teenagers, all discarded like trash in a mass grave. Each had been reported missing. And none had been investigated.As simmering racial tensions explode into violence, Justin finds himself caught in the tide. And as he gives voice to the discontent plaguing the city’s forgotten and ignored, he vows to search for the killer who preys upon them.

The Brevity of Roses


Linda Cassidy Lewis - 2011
    Meredith Dahlberg-Lang hides behind a façade. In public, she's a wealthy socialite. In private, she's a lonely woman with a heart imprisoned by guilt after her husband's death. But she can't deny the longing she feels when a younger man seeks her attention. Jalal Vaziri, after years of trying in vain to win his father's approval, defies him by pursuing a new career. When he meets the woman of his dreams, his satisfaction is complete, but fate challenges his plan for a blissful future. Renee Marshall, matured beyond her years by a hard life, heads for a fresh start in Los Angeles. But when car trouble detours her to a village on the central coast, she enters the life of a man whose fierce denial of the need to be loved matches her own.

Shattered Daddy


Charlize Starr - 2017
    My best friend in high school. Biggest crush I ever had. We made a deal when we were kids. We’d marry each other if we were still single at 30. Guess what. We’re both turning 30. But there are things he doesn’t know. Like a dead body in my closet. Will the truth set me free? Or will it haunt me forever? This is a 93-page small town suspense romance with a bad boy single dad and a good girl. It is a stand-alone story with an HEA, so no cliff-hangers! It includes lots of steam, secrets, and mature language. Most definitely for 18+ readers only.

This Secret Thing


Marybeth Mayhew Whalen - 2020
    Out of protection. Out of fear. Everyone has a reason to lie.Everyone in Raleigh, North Carolina, is talking about Norah Ramsey, the single mother accused of being a suburban madam. But Norah’s not the only one keeping secrets.After her mother’s arrest, Norah’s teenage daughter, Violet, is devastated and alone. She has no one to turn to until her grandmother Polly arrives. Polly, long estranged from Norah, is running from her own troubles. Down the street, Bess, once Norah’s best friend, desperately tries to hide secrets while Casey, Bess’s daughter, flees college after a traumatic event, only to find that home isn’t the safe haven she expected. And Nico, the detective who has doggedly pursued Norah Ramsey in hopes that she will lead him to his missing brother, is drawn further into these women’s lives while facing his own domestic disturbance.Scandal has brought each of them to a crossroads. Now, as they delve into Norah’s secrets, they must come to terms with secrets of their own—ones that still have the power to hurt or to heal.

Tainted Bodies


Sarah Robinson - 2014
    A woman haunted by her past, Kate Jackson was listlessly floating through life until she meets charming lawyer and play boy, Derrick Kane. Just when she thinks she might have found the key to learning how to live again, learning how to love…The Photographer rips it all away with one click of his camera. He takes a picture of every woman he kills. A little memento of his favorite moments. The infamous serial killer is on the attack, but little did Kate know that death could be the one thing to bring her back to life. Or that The Photographer is just beginning… Trigger Warning: Due to violent and dark subject matter, this book is intended for 18+ years old. This book does contain triggers for violence and abuse. This is the first book in a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. The next book, Tainted Pictures, is available on all retailers.

In The Wake Of Death


Billy McLaughlin - 2016
    Now Marc Adams is awake and he can barely remember anything about his life before. All he knows is that his meddling sister has returned to his life, whilst his partner Joel is gone. Marc is convinced that something has happened to Joel. Why won’t anybody believe him? As he is pulled further into the pit of his subconscious, Marc begins to remember exactly what happened on the night of his accident. Soon, he’ll be wishing he hadn’t woken up at all.

Blissed


Jamie Farrell - 2014
    But it’s redemption time, and she’s putting on her big girl panties to make sure this year’s bridal festival goes off without a hitch. Even if it means she has to play nice with the man who broke her fairy tale.She’s definitely not the one for him. Or is she...World adventurer and reluctant local hero CJ Blue doesn’t want to be in Bliss anymore than Natalie wants him here. But family obligations have brought him back, and now he’s somehow been roped into saving the town tradition he’d rather forget with the woman whose kiss he can’t forget. She frustrates him and drives him nuts but he's had more fun giving her a hard time about the bridal festival than he has in years.And their fun is just starting...Despite their rocky past, these two wounded souls have more in common than they expect. They’ve both loved and lost, they’ve both tried to move on, and now they’ve both been been banned from the local church confessional after...well, they’re not supposed to talk about it. But by joining forces for the sake of Bliss, they might find the courage and the sparks to risk love one more time.Note: BLISSED was previously published for like 5 minutes many years ago as THE HUSBAND GAMES. Publishers Weekly called it a "Marvelous romantic comedy" in a starred review and named it as a "Self-Published Star" of 2014.

The Bequest


B.E. Baker - 2021
    After their husbands both pass away within a year of one another, they have no reason to interact. Their connection drops to an awkward phone call on birthdays and an exchange of holiday cards.Until an eccentric uncle of their husbands' leaves a massive cattle ranch to the women's minor children. . . if they work the ranch themselves. A ranch that's located near a small town on the Wasatch front that isn’t too keen on outsiders.They're both going to turn the bequest down, clearly. It’s not like either of them could properly raise their kids or find love again in a backwater province like Birch Creek. But when things at home change dramatically—for both moms—they decide to give it a try. . . just for the summer.What could possibly go wrong in a mere three months? (Or more importantly... what might go right?)Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Pamela Kelley said, "B. E. Baker takes you right to the heart of the small town that two widowed sisters-in-law land in very unexpectedly. Can they survive the year they need to spend there to keep it? I really enjoyed reading Bridget's romantic women's fiction debut."

To Serve and Protect


Rain Harlow - 2018
     Ben is everything I could want in a man. But I locked up my heart and threw away the key a long time ago. Now, he’s assigned to guard me during my prosecution of a violent criminal. Will his disarming charm and intense blue eyes finally force me to go after what I never thought I could want again? Ben She held me at arm’s length, but something in her eyes drew me closer. Was it possible that she understood my pain? When the man she was prosecuting threatened her, My instincts went into overdrive. No one messes with what’s mine. And that’s what Liz is. Mine.

Both of Her


Alisa Mullen - 2015
    Luca, otherwise known as Lucia Westwood, is an unconventional escort, choosing to accept gifts and sex as her payment. Introduced to an extravagant lifestyle by a pilot when she was a freshman at NYU over a snowed in Christmas week, she never got over her penchant for lavish weekend getaways. While she can afford the gifts and the perks that come with those weekends, the company of the beautiful and successful men is priceless. That is until…Luca’s world meets Lucia’s men on one disastrous day. Neither part of her knows what to do. While she is praying that her image as a powerhouse professional won’t be tainted and she lives the nightlife she loves, both of her will find her true self.For Mature Audiences Only please.

Secrets We Left In Greece


Ian Wilfred - 2018
     Every year, Miriam, her daughter, Heather, and young granddaughter Amy would spend the long summer holidays enjoying the picturesque scenery, visiting local landmarks and integrating with the local community. However, life had moved on, and now with Amy having grown up, married and set up her own business, Miriam suddenly decided to take her family back to this idyllic holiday location. This news brought back poignant memories for all three of them. Thoughts of love and romance combined with dilemmas, choices and a cocktail of emotions would force life to never be quite the same again. Is it always wise to revisit memorable locations? Should the past remain in the past? Learn how Miriam, Heather and Amy all confront their secret fears. Discover whether previous friendships and relationships stand the test of time. Add in the intriguing stories of newcomers whose lives intertwine with the family trio. and how events of the past, present and future merge to form unexpected outcomes.. A subtle blend of engaging, interesting characters, thoughtful life dilemmas with lessons learned makes ‘Secrets we left in Greece’ a compelling summer read.

Something Reckless


Lexi Ryan - 2014
    I want more than typed secrets and texted promises. I want something reckless. Heat. Passion. The thrill of being entirely possessed.Because I suspect this anonymous stranger isn’t a stranger at all.*****Lizzy Thompson met riverrat69 online through a service promising to deliver meaningful relationships by forbidding its users to share names or photos until they’ve reached a certain benchmark. She was looking for love. He was researching an investment. They hit it off. Talked and flirted, hid behind screen names and cartoon avatars.Now they’re breaking the rules and meeting in person. But Liz is prepared. She’s picked up hints and followed clues. She’s nearly convinced she’s discovered the identity of her dirty-talking online friend.She wonders if her ex-lover Sam Bradshaw knows her identity too.When she rolls the dice on one reckless night, her chance at something real could crumble.Something Reckless is part one of the Reckless & Real series. Part two, Something Real is available now.

For Now and Forever


Sophie Love - 2016
    When her boyfriend of 7 years takes her out for their long-awaited anniversary dinner, Emily is sure that this time will be different, that this time she will finally get the ring.When he gives her a small bottle of perfume instead, Emily knows the time has come to break up with him--and for her entire life to have a fresh start.Reeling from her unsatisfying, high-pressure life, Emily decides she needs a change. She decides on a whim to drive to her father's abandoned home on the coast of Maine, a sprawling, historic house where she'd spent magical summers as a child. But the house, long-neglected, is in dire need of repair, and the winter is no time to be in Maine. Emily hasn't been there in 20 years, when a tragic accident changed her sister's life and shattered her family. Her parents divorced, her father disappeared, and Emily was never able to bring herself to step foot in that house again.Now, for some reason, with her life reeling, Emily feels drawn to the only childhood place she ever knew. She plans on going just for a weekend, to clear her head. But something about the house, its numerous secrets, its memories of her father, its oceanfront allure, its small-town setting--and most of all, its gorgeous, mysterious caretaker--doesn't want to let her leave. Can she find the answers she's been looking for here, in the most unexpected place of all?Can a weekend become a lifetime?

Girl on a Swing


Bella Roccaforte - 2016
    Wren's life has been spiraling downward ever since. She's trapped in an abusive marriage, her career as an artist has never had a chance to flourish, and all of her hope is gone. If she doesn't break away from all that's dragging her down, she's afraid she'll never escape it.She turns to her lifelong friend, Maddox, the only person who's been there for her through it all. He helps her understand her own strength so she can finally begin making bold changes in her life. But falling in love with him was never part of the plan.When their forbidden relationship jeopardizes everything Wren has worked for, will anyone be left standing by her side?