Book picks similar to
Star Crossed by C.D. Reiss


romance
second-chance
contemporary
arc

The Sweetest Match


Abby Tyler - 2020
    Abby Tyler welcomes you to the witty, well-meaning busybodies of Applebottom, Missouri, where the community takes its pies -- and its matchmaking -- very seriously. When Sandy Miller emerges from her shack on the edge of town after eighteen years, she finds a job making tea cakes for a little shop on Town Square.But then everyone starts spotting secret words of love and longing on her cakes.Andrew McCallister is the first to admit that he never got over Sandy Miller when she dropped out of high school and disappeared. But now she’s back.He just has to get the guts to talk to her.When the town summons the pair to a meeting to plan the school’s centennial bash, Andrew and Sandy discover they are the only two members of the committee. As they attempt to rekindle the long-lost flame, they realize the community must come together for more than an anniversary party. For their new relationship to flourish, the old guard must learn to support their most vulnerable members even when times get hard.

Hot for Teacher


Whitley Cox - 2020
    Three sexy single ladies who drink a ton of wine every Saturday night, bitch about life, have each other's backs, are the ultimate mama bears, and hope to one day, just maybe find love again.This is Celeste's story ...Fifteen years ago, Celeste was eighteen, in love and on the honor roll.Then she got pregnant.Now, a widow and a single mom, she does her best to give her daughter, Sabrina, a good life.But something is missing in her world.Or someone.Back when he taught her math, Celeste didn't have a crush on Mr. Travis, but that doesn't mean she's not hot for teacher now or able to ignore her rampant fantasies.All Max wanted to do was buy was a pair of jeans. However, when he bumped into his former student, Celeste, he ended up with so much more.She's not a kid anymore and it's impossible for him to stay away from her. Even when he knows he should.But an angry student is out to wreak havoc for them all. One who hates Sabrina, and wants to cause problems for Max and Celeste.Like love, high school can be a battlefield, only neither of them knew just how dangerous it could be until the scandal explodes like a grenade. Celeste and Sabrina's relationship hangs precariously in the balance, and Max isn't sure if he should stay and fight for the woman he's falling for, or get out of dodge before everything he's worked so hard for goes up in smoke.**Note: This book can be read as a standalone. It includes lots of steamy scenes, cursing, a sexy alpha male, and of course as with all my books, this has an HEA and no cliffhanger or cheating. If you liked my single dad series, then you'll love this spin-off trilogy.

Protecting My Heart


Melanie Shawn - 2018
    It was never more than that, but she fooled herself into believing friendship was enough. Donovan Valentine knew he could never make a move on his best friend Ella. After all, she depended on him. He was the only stable man in her life. If denying his feelings was the price he had to pay for protecting hers, then he was more than willing to pay it. Celebrating their high school graduation, they drunkenly took part in a marriage ceremony using fake IDs. But now, fifteen years later, it turns out that the IDs weren't so fake, and neither is the marriage. When Donovan returns to Valentine Bay to straighten things out, will this accident turn into the best thing that ever happened to them? *** Standalone romance with HEA and no cliffhanger. ***

Mr. Legacy


C.G. Burnette - 2021
    Legacy, as he's known on Wall Street—knows hard work comes at a price. In business, he thrives on organization, control, and results, building a legacy and creating a future for his daughter.But his girl wants more for him than just the office. She knows he’s been alone for far too long and thinks now is the time for him to let go of the reins and maybe find love again.Indulging his daughter, Tyson leaves work behind for just one night and joins his friends for a boy’s night out. But when the haze of aged cigar smoke and fine whiskey parts, there’s a woman… One that, with just a look, Tyson knows will make him lose control in ways he never has before.And has him thinking of building a very different kind of legacy.

Foster


Kristie Leigh - 2020
    I don’t have time for that crap, but here’s my story.I was finally coming clean to my best friend about how this divorced, single mom attempted to get back in the dating game...and wound up with an old flame.Enough stalling, it was time to spill it ... ALLFoster Montgomery was my best friend's hot younger brother. Back in high school, we used to have a thing. And by “thing,” I mean we used to mess around--behind closed doors, because apparently, that was all I was good for. Finally, many years later, I had the chance to get my revenge. If wet dreams, steamy make-out sessions on my couch, and “naked yoga” in my living room counted as revenge, then I nailed it! He was still keeping secrets, but this time, I planned to make it known exactly what he’d done behind those closed doors.

Bronx


Tess Oliver - 2021
    He grew up breaking colts and parachutes into wildfires as a smokejumper for a living, but Layla Rafferty, the elusive woman he loves but can't have, might be the one to finally break him.

Celina


Abbie Zanders - 2015
    Nothing has changed, and yet everything is different. Or maybe living at home with her overprotective brother and working in the town library just isn't enough.When Celina meets Jamie McCullough, she knows right away that he's a great guy. He's handsome, intelligent, thoughtful, and treats her well... but it's not enough. Celina is saving herself for the all-inclusive, heart-pounding, breath-stealing kind of magic that comes with finding the right one - the kind she feels when she meets Jamie's brother, Kyle.The dark, brooding biker is all wrong for someone like her, and yet from the moment they meet, Celina knows Kyle is the one she's been waiting for.Kyle McCullough is the ultimate bad boy. He likes his machines fast and his women faster. When his younger brother comes to him for advice on seduction, Kyle laughs it off, believing no woman can be as perfect as Jamie makes her out to be.He's wrong. Not only is Celina beautiful and sexy, she's got the class of a lady and the soul of a biker. But it will never work. Lina's not only his brother's girl, she's also his best friend's little sister.Besides, she's far too good for him. And Kyle doesn't do good girls.Contains mature themes.

The Genius and the Muse


Elizabeth Hunter - 2012
    She thought she knew what she wanted in life. She had a great boyfriend, a promising career, and a clear path. How could one simple portrait change all that? A photograph. A sculpture. A painting. One clue leads to another, and Kate learns that pieces of the past might leave unexpected marks on her own future, too. And how, exactly, did she end up in an irritable sculptor's studio? One portrait may hold the answers, but learning its secrets will challenge everything Kate thought she knew about love, art, and life. A single picture can tell more than one story, and in the end, a young artist will discover that every real love story is a unique work of art.

Pretend I'm Yours


Ella Miles - 2018
     I’m a twenty-two-year-old virgin. Tonight that changes. I thought my first time had to be magical. The perfect date. The perfect place. The perfect guy. I thought I wanted to be in love. But now, I’m desperate. I’ll take any guy as long as he’s decent looking and treats me well, at least for the night. Turns out Mr. Perfect isn’t so hard to find. He’s hot, dreamy, and filthy rich. And he wants me. Sex with him is going to be better than I ever imagined. He’s going to ruin me for all other guys. I know that it is just for one night, but it doesn’t matter. I’m happy to get my perfect night. One night isn’t enough, for either of us. Because Mr. Perfect just fake proposed to me. And he wants this proposal to last a lot longer than one night. Will you pretend to be my wife? **This book is a standalone romance.**

The Substitute


Mickey Miller - 2019
     When the NFL goes on strike, Super Bowl champion Peyton O’Rourke ends up back in his hometown as a substitute teacher and high school football coach. The one thing he didn’t count on? Maddy Cooper being newly single. She’s the hot girl next door type. Literally. She’s literally the cute girl next door and his best friend’s (now ex) girl. And even though he knows he should be with anyone other than Maddy Cooper — Well you know the drill. Things are going to get hot. Heavy. Does Facebook still have an ‘It’s complicated’ button? Because it’s about to go down.

The Romance Dance


Allie Burton - 2016
    He’s pieced his life back together becoming a landlord and remodel construction specialist, but shies away from a social life.Ex-ballerina Quinn Petrov moved to Castle Ridge and invested her money to start a dance studio with plans to put down roots. She wants to get involved in the community to promote her business and make real friends, not the acquaintances she’d made in New York. When she meets her secretive and sexy landlord, she’s intrigued but he always seems to be hiding behind a mask. Reed can’t stop the attraction he feels toward his new tenant, but she’s beautiful and outgoing, while he is not. When his younger brother begs him to help impress Quinn, Reed can’t say no. Using the musical language of love, he woos Quinn for his brother, but when his own mask slips will he reveal his secrets?In this modern take of Cyrano de Bergerac meets Beauty and the Beast, Quinn and Reed dance their way into each other’s hearts. Other books in the series: The Christmas Match and The Flirtation Game.

Mr. Mystery


Melissa Williams - 2021
    Then, in a cruel twist of fate, she was gone. Even with all the evidence telling me otherwise, I know she’s out there. My heart can’t let her go. And I won’t rest until I find her. IsabellaLosing your memory is scary. Especially when every night you dream of being held in the loving, strong arms of a mystery man only to wake up alone. Is he a figment of my imagination or a tempting spark of memory? Even after all this time I don’t remember who I am. Or was. And I don’t have time to waste on dreaming and what-ifs—it’s not just me I have to look out for.Then he’s there—flesh and bone, standing in front of me. A dream come to life in the middle of a burlesque club. I don’t believe billionaire Cyrus Meinhold was ever mine—a man like him is too good to be true. Until he says the three words that echo in my dreams: Dance for me.More Than Money series will have you swooning over these sexy billionaires with big wallets and even bigger hearts this July! Grab a fan and a cool drink, it's about to get hot in here!

Full Hearts Series Boxed Set


M.J. Summers - 2015
    Devastated and alone Claire must make a fresh start. She answers an ad for a chef at a guest ranch just outside Colorado Springs and finds herself face to face with Cole Mitchell, quite possibly the hottest man to ever ride a horse. Common sense tells them to stay away from each other, but their attraction is not to be denied. He gives her a glimpse of what love should be, but just as she starts to trust him, the past comes back to tear them apart.Join Claire and Cole as they embark on the stormy love affair of a lifetime. DON'T LET GO (FULL HEARTS NOVELLA 1.5) Readers fell in love with Ben and Alicia’s picture-perfect marriage in BREAK IN TWO, but, for these two, the road to a happy ending hasn’t always been smooth. Don't Let Go is a sweet, sexy short read and is best enjoyed after BREAK IN TWO and before BREAKING LOVE. BREAKING LOVE (FULL HEARTS BOOK 2) Luc Chevalier is a satisfied man – or so he thinks. His businesses are thriving, he has all the excitement, money and beautiful women any man could want. He dines at the best restaurants and stays at the most luxurious hotels as he makes his way around the globe. So why does he suddenly find himself so restless?Megan Sullivan is a single mom with a rather ordinary life. She is comfortable with things just the way they are. She has a six-year-old son, Elliott, a cozy house in Boulder, Colorado, and a photography business to put food on the table. Her ex lives hours away in Florida, providing enough space for him to feed his drug addiction without exposing Elliott to his father's illness. Megan is on her own, and she intends to keep it that way.Megan is convinced by her best friend to take a trip to Paris for a few days. Little does she know she is about to be thrust into the arms of Luc Chevalier, the sexiest man to ever set foot on the Eiffel Tower. They agree to one night together and no more. In those few short hours, he manages to draw out the passionate woman that Megan has carefully hidden away for years. Once she has a taste of what she's been missing, she finds it almost impossible to go back to her life as it was.Will two people who don't believe in happily-ever-aftermanage to put aside their doubts and find their forever? Join Luc as he discovers that everything he never wanted isthe only thing he will ever need. BREAKING CLEAR (FULL HEARTS BOOK 3) Meet Evan Donovan, the hottest home builder on the planet. When he’s not on a construction site, he spends his time hanging from cliffs. Little does Evan know that Harper Young, his best friend’s little sister, is going to drop out of the sky and into his big, muscley arms.

Sinners of Hawthorne University Complete Series


Eva Ashwood - 2021
    It contains violence, dark subject matter, and high steam.**

I Like You, I Love Her


J.R. Rogue - 2018
    Before he kissed me in front of the entire school. As he danced with her the night of our senior prom.After his younger brother, Ben, made me smile through my tears.“It’ll never work with him. He will never leave her…”It’s been more than ten years since I let myself fall for the boy whose heart wasn’t mine. And the Prom King’s lips are finally mine to kiss.“When I came back here I wasn’t expecting to see you, and when I did, I felt this tumble…”But he’s still keeping me in the shadows.As his younger brother breaks me open in the day.BenYou shouldn’t covet whom your brother desires.Our pastor father would say he taught me better than that.But I knew over ten years ago my brother didn’t deserve her.And nothing’s changed since she came back into both our lives.“You think what you felt for my brother back then was love, but what I felt can’t be the same?”I’m still the one who makes her laugh—the one who challenges her.And he’s still the one treating her like a dirty little secret.“You really are a watercolor, Severin Thompson. I can read you…”You shouldn’t covet whom your brother desires.This summer, I’ll remind him of that.