Book picks similar to
The Real Thing by J.J. Murray


romance
interracial-romance
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interracial

The Object of Love


Sharon Cullars - 2007
    But guilt and long-buried secrets could destroy their future before it begins. . .It's been five years since Lacey Burnham saw Sean Logan, and in that time her son Calvin's best friend has turned from a surly youth into a handsome, self-assured young man. Crushed with grief over Cal's sudden death, Lacey offers Sean a place to stay while he's in town--an innocent proposal that quickly becomes anything but. Lacey is stunned and confused by the yearning he ignites with a single kiss. . .Beautiful, warmhearted Lacey Burnham was a haven of comfort in Sean's troubled youth. Now, against every shred of logic she possesses, Lacey is falling hard for Sean and for a heady carnal bliss she's never experienced before. But the ghosts of the past are waiting. And sooner or later, every shadow must face the light of day. . ."Chilling and deliciously erotic by turns, an absorbing rollercoaster ride of a book." --Angela Knight on AgainSharon Cullars lives in Chicago where she works as a research analyst for a professional association. In her spare time, she reads whatever she can lay her hands on, but particularly loves works that allow her to make an emotional connection to the characters. She does not limit herself to any one genre and is a lover of mystery, romance, horror and sci-fi. She also enjoys various types of music, but generally gravitates toward soft jazz. She has written several short stories, one of which is due to be published in Masques V, an anthology of horror literature. In addition to writing, she hosts the Short Stories section of Bella Online, a comprehensive site for women. When she feels in the mood, she also dabbles in 3D art or just enjoys the wonderful attractions of the city of Chicago. Sharon welcomes comments and feedback.

Don't Tempt Me


Lori Foster - 2016
    But his nights are another story… And when his lovely new neighbor, Honor Brown, reluctantly accepts his help in remodeling her house, Jason finds himself wishing his handyman skills could knock down the defenses she keeps building around herself. Martial arts teacher Sullivan Dean knows real danger when he sees it—even when it takes the form of the gorgeous blonde helping her friend move in across the street. After putting his wayward past behind him to focus on teaching control to troubled kids, Sullivan has learned to avoid party girls like Lexie Perkins. But Sullivan can't seem to keep his hands off the real woman behind that flirty charm—or keep his heart from landing at her feet…

Falling Off the Face of the Earth


J.F. Smith - 2011
    All he has left is his mother to help him heal and regain his confidence before he's ready to get back out and re-conquer the world.But being big-city gay in a small southern town has its own challenges. In addition to coming to grips with what happened in New York, his hometown of Lawder throws its own curveballs at him. James is confronted with a bitter enemy from his school days, and frustratingly can't seem to avoid the guy. His mother suddenly wants to expand the family. The one guy James takes a liking to and starts dating has a lot of hang-ups about being gay. And he watches almost helplessly as a new young bully starts to repeat the kind of abuse he suffered during his own school days.Here where he grew up, the one place he should feel safe, James feels maddeningly off-balance. He starts to think that maybe going home was a bad idea after all. Maybe he'd be better off moving on and really starting over, completely from scratch. Maybe he should walk away from Lawder, just like he walked away from his life in New York.But maybe, if he'd give it a chance, he'd re-think everything he ever thought he wanted out of life. And maybe what he thought was important, isn't so important after all. Maybe he could have everything he never realized he wanted, if he just looked around himself for a moment.

Wish You Were Here


Renee Carlino - 2017
    All she knows is that she won’t discover it working as a waitress at a pies-and-fries joint in Los Angeles or living with her fun but aimless best friend in a tiny apartment in the Arts District.Then Charlotte collides with Adam, a gorgeous and soulful painter who seems just as lost as she feels. Their instant connection turns into a midnight drink… and a whirlwind night of champagne, Chinese food, and the kind of conversation that only happens in romantic comedies. But the next morning, Adam gives Charlotte the cold shoulder, leaving her confused and hurt—and wondering if the few odd moments between them the night before were red flags in disguise.Months later, Charlotte hasn’t been able to shake Adam, so she decides to find out what happened the morning after their magical night together. This fateful decision rewrites their wild love story, but what Charlotte doesn’t know yet is that the ending has already been written.

Trade Me


Courtney Milan - 2015
    She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Technology. But when he makes an off-hand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations.But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No expectations might break Tina’s heart...but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life.

Destiny on Ice


S.R. Grey - 2016
    Uh, nix that last one. Brent has the talent and skill that should have his career soaring. But something is wrong. He’s lost his hockey mojo and can’t get it back. Enter Aubrey Shelburne, life coach to the stars. Aubrey’s worked with some difficult celebrities, but she’s never encountered a guy quite like Brent Oliver. Or has she? Seems a reckless night of partying, one that had Aubrey waking up in a strange man’s bed, is about to bite her in the ass. That is, if Brent doesn’t first. Fighting an off-the-charts attraction, Aubrey and Brent must learn to work together. But it’s not an easy task when they’re at each other’s throats every minute. Is this relationship a disaster in the making? Or is it destiny? Washboard abs and sex toy mishaps aside, Destiny on Ice is a fun and irreverent romp that’ll have you swooning on one page and laughing on the next.Sports Romance/Romantic ComedyNOTE: **STANDALONE NOVEL** **EACH BOOK IN THE BOYS OF WINTER SERIES WILL FEATURE A DIFFERENT HOCKEY PLAYER'S STORY**

That Thing Between Eli & Gwen


J.J. McAvoy - 2016
    McAvoy**Eli Davenport thinks he’s found the perfect woman to be his wife. She’s a doctor, like he is. She’s brilliant, like he is. And she’s wealthy, like he is. Guinevere 'Gwen' Poe thinks her fiancé is the perfect man. He’s handsome, successful and he was her first… But when Eli’s bride runs off with Gwen’s fiancée on his wedding day, they are left to pick up the broken pieces of each other...

Blindsided


Tammy Williams - 2009
    Here, Norris grapples with falling in love and getting to know the teenage daughter he had never known he had. Original.

The Education of Hailey Kendrick


Eileen Cook - 2011
    She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them. Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life--and her reputation--are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped. They say honesty is the best policy--but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?

Good Boy


Sarina Bowen - 2017
    Already the family screw-up, she can’t afford to fail. And nobody - absolutely nobody! - can learn of the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. It was wrong, and there will not be a repeat. Absolutely not. Even if he is the sexiest thing on two legs.Blake Riley sees the wedding as fate’s gift to him. Jess is the maid of honor, and he’s the best man? Let the games begin. So what if he’s facing a little (fine, a lot) of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he’s really a good boy with a bad rap. Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you’ve got to make an effort if you want to score.But Jess has more pressing issues to deal with than sexy-times with a giant man-child. Such as: Will the ceremony start on time, even though someone got grandma drunk? Does glitter ever belong at a wedding? And is it wrong to murder the best man?Caution: May cause accidental aspiration of tea or coffee. Do not read in a public place where loud laughter is inappropriate. Contains hot but hilarious hockey players, puppy cuddling and a snarky pair of underwear.

Major's Baby


Emerson Rose - 2016
     Stunning, bossy, and damaged, Major’s rules are designed to protect his own heart just as much as the hearts of those who dare to show him interest. His past is a book he’d rather not re-open, and his future is something he’d rather not think about. Enter free spirit Violet Washington. Wielding equal parts beauty, brains, and sass, Violet’s been hurt before and prefers one night stands over boyfriends. Her heart is safer that way. Nobody gets hurt. Everyone goes home happy. But the second they collided rules were obliterated. Boundaries were pushed. Hearts were challenged. And expectations were questioned. It was just one weekend; one breathless, s*x-infused weekend neither of them could forget no matter how hard they tried. But just when they both thought the past was behind them, Violet finds herself preparing to tell Major Steele that their little weekend together . . . . . . is about to last a lifetime. AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a full-length, stand alone romance with a happily ever after and no cliffhanger. You do not need to read King's Baby or Playboy's Baby first as all may be enjoyed separately.

Can't Buy Me Love


Molly O'Keefe - 2012
      A girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Tara Jean Sweet knows that opportunity will never knock; she’ll have to seize it. Elderly Texas rancher Lyle Baker has a dying request: He will give Tara Jean a stake in his leather business in exchange for a little family subterfuge. All Tara Jean has to do is play the part of a gold-digging fiancée to lure Lyle’s estranged children home. The mission is soon accomplished.   Now Lyle’s gone—and his ridiculously handsome son, Luc, an ice hockey superstar sidelined by injuries, is the new owner of Crooked Creek ranch. He’s also Tara Jean’s boss. But being so close to sinfully sweet Tara Jean does crazy things to Luc’s priorities, like make him want to pry her deepest secrets from those irresistible lips. But when Tara Jean’s past demands a dirty showdown, will Luc stay and fight?

Crush


Crystal Hubbard - 2007
    But Miranda is no stranger to the pitfalls of dating a celebrity, and Lucas will have to overcome all her doubts and teach her to believe in him.The daughter of an African-American baseball player who frequently cheated on her beautiful, accomplished Brazilian mother, Miranda also bears the woulds of having been cheated on by the ballplayer she herself dated. Although she can't deny here attraction to Lucas, Miranda can't force herself to accept the love the handsome Welshman wants to give her. Their careers keep them surrounded by gorgeous, wealthy men and women of every color and description, but for Lucas and Miranda, when it comes to love, race doesn't matter. . . But fidelity and trust do, and those are the two things Lucas is determined to teach Miranda to believe in.

Player's Ultimatum


Koko Brown - 2011
    Hounded day and night by the media’s constant speculation over his sexual orientation, Robbie doesn’t want to run the risk of losing his career over who he sleeps with. Although Yvonne feels Robbie has lost his marbles, she takes one for the team.While Yvonne is initiated into the fast-paced world of international soccer, she’s ill-prepared for a mutual attraction to Robbie’s teammate, Paolo Saito. And when the Japanese Brazilian footballer discovers her secret and turns the tables on her, Yvonne loses sight of her goal and risks sacrificing more than just her heart.Warning: Strong sexual content and adult language.

Loving Kyla (Love Stories, #1)


Michelle Hardin - 2015
    they have no idea the other feels the same ... yet. Kyla Anne McCall has just found out that her fiance impregnated another woman. Although she is quite relieved that she now has the out she had been too afraid to look for, she can’t help but feel hurt by the betrayal. After a heated fight that ends in her kicking him out for good, she tries her best to rebuild her optimism for her future. The dream is and has always been to have the career, the husband, the kids, the home, and the white picket fence. But now she feels as if the dream has become unattainable, just as unattainable as the man that she secretly wants all of it with. Her famous, billionaire best friend, Eric Rhodes. 'Boston's Prince', Eric Rhodes has been harboring a secret for the past four years. He’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, the stunningly beautiful, Kyla McCall ... Only problem is that ever since the day he’d met her back in law school, she’s been in a relationship with another. But when an unexpected twist in events gives Eric the window of opportunity he’s been waiting for, he finds that he can no longer defer his desire to have her as his. After deciding to focus his effort on winning Kyla's heart, Eric is hit with another twist in events, one that will change his life forever. Loving Kyla is a heart warming STANDALONE Romantic Comedy that reads like a Modern Day Contemporary Fairytale. It is the first novel of Michelle Hardin's collection of Contemporary Romance novels titled, The Love Stories Series.