Fans pick 100 books like Secret Love

I personally recommend Edgeplay by Annabel Allan to readers who enjoy high-quality erotic and BDSM romance readers. The chemistry between Ava Goode and her hunky lover, Gabriel Burton, is a passionate one that sizzles, not fizzles. Gabriel is a high-powered CEO who dares to try new kinky things in the bedroom with Ava. He knows when to be bad, and he knows when to be good. Ava personifies empowerment – she’s a real hero with a strong voice, and she's no damsel in distress. This is great, as I’m not a fan of weak voices. Edgeplay accurately portrays BDSM—the author has done her research into the lifestyle and knows what she's writing about.

Perilous Love by Jan Selbourne is an unforgettable World War I romance novel that pulled my heartstrings and brought me to tears. Adrian Bryce has a hot and steamy affair with his mistress—instead of being with his estranged wife, Gabrielle, and their children. However, circumstances bring Adrian and Gabrielle together, and he must keep his wife safe in the midst of the dangers of war. I was intrigued by the themes of trust and forgiveness, and how Adrian chooses to let go of the past and fall in love again with the person he married. I was glad I gave this bad boy a chance, and I felt emotionally attached to Adrian and Gabrielle’s ‘second chance’ romance story. 

Oh, Marco, you are a brute and a heartbreaker! The Brute and I by Suzanne Smith is an emotional romance with Marco and Alex trying to figure out if their relationship is worth saving. Marco is muscled, handsome, and dominant, with a natural charm that attracts women left, right, and center. There’s plenty of steam between Marco and Alex, but there’s also emotional turmoil. She wants a soulmate, but love isn’t always an easy path. Marco must overcome his painful past to make things work with the woman of his life. Throughout the book, I was cheering for him, and there were moments when I thought, “Marco, don’t mess it up.” It certainly kept me on my toes, wanting more similar books from the author. 

Wild and sexy ProRodeo cowboy Colton Maples is the kind of hero that had me hooked when I read Ava, a short story by Callie Carmen in the Cowboy Desire anthology. This hot honey didn’t seem like the kind of guy to settle down and be a one-woman man, leaving behind past lovers, but he surprised me. It was love at first sight when he met Ava Kincaid, an artist who was equally smitten with him. It was no surprise when the gray-eyed, dark-haired hunk flirted his way into Ava’s life and in her bed, but would he break her heart? Colton and Ava took me on an emotional ride, that’s for sure. The steamy scenes were written tastefully and I enjoyed reading every page of this sexy romance. And yes, I loved the ending.

A great beach-read story about a father who keeps trying to marry off his daughter.

Ella is spunky, with a mind of her own, and determined to find her own husband. She posts an ad of her own looking for a perfect lover, not a husband. What she gets is a bad boy who has lots of experience but is running from his past. The man is hot and utterly perfect. When these two get together, the sparks ignite!

It’s witty, funny, and a great read. I loved it!

A person needs self-knowledge before loving another. That’s true for the hero and heroine of A World Such As Heaven Intended, an American Civil War novel by Amanda Lauer. They meet briefly at the start of the book. Both realize their lives have been changed by the encounter, even though the heroine is loyal to the Confederacy and the hero to the Union. The hero and heroine then are separated. That allowed me to follow each one’s journey as they navigated life in a war-torn country. The tension caused by different loyalties remains strong when they reunite. But they’re thrown into a life-and-death situation that made me wonder if they’d find their happy ending! This novel is first in the Heaven Intended series.

Look. I could tell you it’s a modern-day gothic. I could tell you it wields its heresy to illuminate the true meaning of God. I could tell you she writes with the clarity of an imprisoned martyr watching the pyre being assembled outside her window. But, really, I just want you to know that I read Sierra Simone with a goofy smile on my face, marveling at how she makes the bonkers believable. She’s a surreal realist. There’s an energy here that’s simply unmatched. The book vibrates. And if you make it through Priest, might I suggest her New Camelot trilogy, which tackles the only thing more sacred than the Catholic church: the American presidency.

I didn’t realize Playing By Heart was a Young Adult book until I finished reading. I was too engrossed in the story about a musical prodigy in 18th century Italy. The romance arc is central but subdued, as the heroine is still a young teenager when this coming-of-age story begins. Her behavior is shaped by family, faith and cultural restrictions. The story placed me in the world of Italian nobility as I followed the heroine and her sisteras they received above-average educations for their time. (Their father has a reason.) Mature adults will enjoy this book. At least I did! I was delighted to learn the main character and her sister are based on real sisters who were 18th century Italian musical and academic prodigies.

In Pieces is the first of a two-book series. The romance develops in this book while subplots thicken. I was quickly drawn to the characters and early American setting. I felt immersed in the ambience of the Boston waterfront during the Federalist years. Themes of redemption, forgiveness and understanding weave through the novel and affect more than the hero and heroine. For example, the hero’s family grapples with his growing interest in Catholicism. As the love story reaches resolution, another subplot deepens: a need for American spies to help protect the young country. I ended the book feeling as though the characters had become friends. In Pieces is subtitled Molly Chase Book 1 and fits the Christian historical fiction genre as well as Catholic historical romance.

We’ve always had a soft spot for a broken bad boy and this book creates an amazing example of that in Dean. A former marine who grew up in a foster home, he’s completely unaware of the secret crush his best friend’s younger sister, Holly has harbored on him for years. When circumstances allow them to explore that crush, things go from secret to oh-so hot and we were so on board for it. We loved watching Dean finally start to feel like someone saw and understood him and even when tragedy strikes, Holly never gives up on him. The final scenes were freaking adorable…there’s nothing better than a bad boy who is all in with his girl!