Book picks similar to
The Bars Between Us by A.S. Teague


romance
contemporary
contemporary-romance
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Starting Over


Evan Grace - 2014
    And if it weren’t for her brother’s imminent deployment, she wouldn’t even have considered coming back home. But she did. And now she needs to do everything she can to avoid the reason she left in the first place. Luke Carter. The man who turned his back on her when she needed him most. There’s just one problem…Luke seems to have other plans. He’s determined to set things right, making it impossible for Bellamy to ignore the connection they still share after all these years. But Bellamy has a secret. And it’s the kind of secret that has the potential to destroy every last bit of hope she has for a second chance at happiness. The question is, will the truth bring them closer together…or will it tear them apart for good?

Loving Her


C.M. Hutton - 2013
    That was my first impression of him. My next two thoughts were ‘pompous ass’ and ‘cocky jerk.’ And, I had the glorious pleasure of sharing a table with him for the entire night. He didn’t speak, didn’t grunt….he just nodded and stared. If I weren’t taking my bosses place at this dinner, I’d have found another place to sit and escape Rylan Daniels.‘Absolutely beautiful’ was what I thought when I found her at my table at the Ad Execs quarterly dinner. She wore a black strapless dress and exuded confidence from every part of her. I nodded to her, but didn’t speak. I really didn’t have much to say anyway. I couldn’t quit staring and had to excuse myself at one point to stand across the room and watch her. It was a strange, unwelcome feeling I was having about this stunning woman. It had been five years….five years since Kristen…..and I still couldn’t move on. That kind of hurt you just don’t get over so easily and I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to get over it. But, here I was, completely intrigued and unable to stop thinking about Jen Bailey.

First Comes Love (Love & Marriage, #1)


Emily Goodwin - 2016
    Then comes marriage. Then comes a—Hold up. You’re joking right? As if life works off a neat little list like that, moving down, checking things off before jumping to the next task. We’re not married. We’re not lovers. Hell, we’re hardly even friends. Noah Wilson isn’t exactly “life partner” material, and he sure as hell isn’t “father material”. He’s my older brother’s best friend, and has been off limits, sworn off, locked in the highest tower and out of reach since we met over ten years ago. With his devilish good looks, tattoos, motorcycle, and trail of broken hearts and tears, I’ve had good reason to stay away from the bad boy my mother warned me about.Until one night. One stupid, regrettable night that changed both of our lives forever. And now I only have nine months to decide our fate, to see if Noah’s rebel heart is capable of anything more than a one night stand.This isn’t a love story. This is a life story. And life doesn’t go according to plan.

Lie to Me


Natasha Preston - 2018
    At nineteen, Savannah Dean escaped her family, leaving behind a note and the people who caused her so much pain.Now, she lives on her own and keeps to herself.At nineteen, Kent Lawson’s girlfriend betrayed him, leaving him behind with a broken heart and a whole lot of mistrust in women.Now, he lives on his own and shares himself with nearly every pretty thing that walks by but only for one night.When Savannah and Kent meet, they can’t stand each other.Kent knows she’s hiding something, and he despises liars.And Savannah has nothing but secrets.

Room 212


Kate Stewart - 2014
    Her only plans for life are to make no plans. She revels in her fascination of the unexpected as she navigates her way through mid -1990’s Dallas nightlife. One very bad night brings her face to face with the one man likely to change her mind about…well...everything.Twenty-three year old Seth Whitaker has every intention of seeing through with his well mapped out life. He is a hard working over-achiever that has no intentions of slowing his pace for anyone. With a fierce determination to not let life pass him by without taking a huge bite, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to the one distraction that could keep him from his best laid plans. Little did he know his determination to keep his life on track would be the very thing to trigger the events that change the course of both their lives.In this life she had only done one thing right...and she was his only chance at salvation.*Explicit sex, strong language, some drug use. Can be read as a stand-alone.

Hard Crush


Mira Lyn Kelly - 2018
    And I’m not talking about my ever-ailing phone or the temperamental Smart Board in my classroom. I’m talking about the internationally hailed “Tech Genius” formerly known as the boy I used to love. It was bad enough seeing that cocky smile staring back at me from my newsfeeds, the gossip sites, and—fine—the scorchingly hot men’s fitness magazine I bought in a moment of weakness. But now he’s back home, teasing me with the memories I’ve tried to leave behind, crowding into my space and taunting me with the kiss I can’t resist. I know it’s only a matter of time before I lose him again. He’s already told me he isn’t staying, warned me he’s changed. I know better than to let him get too close, so why can’t I push him away?HANKThey call me a visionary. An innovator. Hell, last week a headline touted me as the billion-dollar geek keeping Silicon Valley’s panties wet. Try living that down. Strip away the media BS, and I’m just a tech-minded guy with my eyes on the future and no time for a past I can't change. So what am I doing following the sweet sound of its laugh back to the woman who passed on our chance at forever?I tell myself all I want is to say hello. To see her smile. Just a few minutes to pretend we’re still the “us” I thought would never end. But once I've had a taste of the too tempting woman she's become, a few minutes isn’t enough. The man I am today is used to getting what he wants, and I want her.The problem? She wants the guy I used to be.Ten years later, all that’s changed is… everything.

Rewind


Sandi Lynn - 2019
     Do you believe in fate? Do you believe in soulmates? Do you believe in second chances? Quinn Since the car accident, I felt like my life was a giant puzzle and I was missing the vital piece that would complete me. Little did I know I would find my missing piece in New York City. He was handsome, kind, and I felt something the moment I met him that I never felt before. For the first time in twelve years, I was happy, and I was convinced that nothing could destroy that feeling. Noah The day I saw her in the art gallery was the day I felt like life had been breathed into me again. She was beautiful and she didn’t know who I was. She felt something. I could see from her eyes and the way she smiled at me that she felt the same connection I felt. She fell in love with me, but I had a secret. A secret that could possibly destroy us. Was it worth taking the risk? What I wouldn’t give just to be able to rewind time. 18+

Nothing Personal


Karina Halle - 2018
    Her latest relationship ended while on her much-needed vacation, then upon her first day back at work, she learns that her beloved boss has quit – and despite having worked so hard for it, she’s not being considered for his position. Who is being considered for the position is none other than Kessler Rocha. Her ex-coworker and ex-lover, Kessler’s the man who broke her heart five years earlier and the reason she moved thousands of miles away, switched jobs, and created numerous voodoo dolls in Kessler’s (very burly, very handsome) liking. Yup. Worst week ever. New in town and on her turf, Kessler promises he’s not the same man he was – and considering he’s now a single father to a precocious toddler, he’s telling the truth. But he’s still an arrogant and devilishly charming man who’s taking over the position Nova feels she deserves. The fact that he’s gotten even more sexy over the years doesn’t help either. Now Nova and Kessler have the choice to let bygones be bygones, or fight with each other every chance they get, with unresolved sexual tension only adding fuel to the flames, creating a fire that might just burn down the whole office. In the corporate world they say it’s just business, nothing personal. Nova and Kessler are about to show just how personal things can get.

Coming Up Roses


Staci Hart - 2019
    Maybe it’s the day-to-day grind. Maybe it’s that client who never knows what they want, or the guy who always cooks fish in the microwave.But not me. I love every corner of the Longbourne Flower Shop, every flower, every petal, every stem. I love the greenhouse, and I love Mrs. Bennet, my boss. I love creating, and I love being a florist. I don’t hate anything at all.Except for Luke Bennet.The Bennet brothers have come home to help their mom save the flower shop, and Luke is at the helm. His smile tells a tale of lust, loose and easy. He moves with the grace of a predator, feral and wild. A thing unbridled, without rules or constraint. When he comes home to save Longbourne, I almost can’t be mad at him. Almost.He doesn’t remember that night I’ll never forget. That kiss, touched with whiskey and fire. It branded me like a red-hot iron. But it meant nothing to him.Everyone hates part of their job, and I hate Luke Bennet.Because if I don’t, I’ll fall in love with him.

Felony Ever After


Debra AnastasiaPenelope Ward - 2016
    Damn it if that tattoo-covered would-be felon isn’t everywhere now, and lighting everything on fire under her skirt.His name is Hudson Fenn, and he’s frustratingly impossible to pin down. He works as a bike messenger, but has the manners of a prince—along with a strange tendency toward breaking and entering. As much as Verity knows he’s not her type, and likely to land her in jail, she can’t help but find her truest self when they’re together.Can she be brave enough to give Hudson a real chance? Will he be bold enough to reveal the man beneath the ink, or will his secrecy doom their connection? Also, WTF is the deal with Verity’s boss? No less than thirteen of your favorite romance writers have teamed up to tell this sexy, wacky, snort-inducing tale. With them you’ll visit the world’s most irritating office, a VIP room of questionable cleanliness, and the fanciest apartment a bike messenger has ever inhabited, but you’ll still never see this ending coming.

Tap Left


A. Zavarelli - 2017
     She’s soft in too many ways. A people pleaser who goes the extra mile. Some might call her an easy target. In short, she has all of the qualities that I despise. But when it comes to me, she doesn’t hesitate to fling her poison arrows my way. She has every right to her feelings. Over the years, I’ve given her plenty of ammo. Yeah, I hate Lola. But it doesn’t stop me from wanting her too. When she makes me a proposition I can’t refuse, there’s just one problem. She tastes so f*cking sweet. So f*cking good. So f*cking mine. This is a full length standalone.

Coming Home


Rebecca Barber - 2016
    Now it is finally time to go back. And with her friend’s birthday party days away, it is the perfect opportunity. On her way into town, her car breaks down, and then she’s attacked and left for dead among the dirt and dust on the roadside. Spencer McLaren never left home, but his heart did. In the same moment Zoe fled… Spencer had always been in Zoe’s life. Every time she’d needed him, he’d been there, arms open wide. When he spots a broken and battered Zoe stumbling along the side of the road, he can’t help but swoop in and rescue her. He rushes her to the hospital, but when she’s released, he can’t seem to let her go. Not again. Physically, Zoe feels fine. Emotionally, her head and her heart are a disaster… Spencer takes Zoe into his home and assigns himself the task of guardian and nurse. But her return puts strain on Spencer’s relationship with his brother, who isn’t happy to see Spencer falling for the girl who broke his heart again. Zoe knows she should leave, but her attacker is still out there, and being with Spencer is the only place she feels safe. She wants to make up for the pain she caused him in the past, but the attack has left her so broken and scared. Despite Zoe’s hesitations and constant battle to keep her emotions in check, Spencer is determined to keep her safe and make her never regret finally… Coming Home.

Her Guardian


Cassia Leo - 2017
    How much is love worth?Twenty-two-year-old Kristin and her single mom have always struggled to make ends meet. When her mother’s body begins to deteriorate after many back-breaking years of working as a housekeeper, Kristin must say farewell to her college dreams and hello to a full-time job waitressing. She doesn’t really mind. After all, giving up on her dreams will be her penance for that one horrible night. Her luck begins to turn when she meets Daniel Meyers. Daniel is sexy and funny, but most importantly, he wants to get to know the real Kristin. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also extremely wealthy and intent on protecting her. Kristin feels safe with him. She wants to open up to him, to share the details of the awful night that changed her life. But she can’t shake the feeling that Daniel may be keeping a dark secret of his own…

Tattooed Dots


Kimberly Knight - 2014
    Over time, we find out who is meant to be a temporary acquaintance and who will be there for a lifetime.Easton Crawford put his modeling career before his marriage until it was ending in divorce. Years later, he is finally learning how to be the father his daughter needs him to be. He’s not looking for someone to step into the mother role—just nightly casual hook-ups. When his best friend convinces him that a good way to meet single women is to go on a singles cruise, he finds more than just a one night stand. At age thirteen, Brooke Bradley became an adult, raising her younger sister while her mother continually ignored her parenting responsibilities. Since then, Brooke has continued to take care of the people in her life, including her deadbeat boyfriend, Jared.For Brooke’s thirtieth birthday, her best friend surprises her with a cruise but fails to mention it’s a singles cruise. When Brooke meets Easton, the one man willing to be her constant, will she finally find the courage to leave Jared? Easton knows that Brooke is someone who is meant to be in his life forever, but when a health scare threatens to change everything, Brooke and Easton are faced with unanswered questions and unspoken fears.

Halo


R.C. Stephens - 2016
     I fell in love with Thomas Wells and knew he was my forever. I was sixteen when I gave him my heart. Our love was the kind to last a lifetime. But Thomas was broken. The first day we met he told me he was going to become a Navy SEAL. At nineteen he enlisted. At twenty he married me. At twenty five he left me pregnant and didn't turn back. I knew he was suffering…. I also knew I couldn't save him. He left me broken. I was scared and alone. Until I met Ryder St. John a wounded soldier… He was lost. I was lost. Together we made sense. I fell in love again… What Ryder forgot to mention was that he held a secret so explosive that it could shatter both our worlds. ***This is a full length novel and is intended for a mature audience.***