Books like The Brute and I — picked by fans

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. 

In Secret Love by F. Burn, Richard Cunningham is a different kind of bad boy—a student in his final year of high school who develops a crush on learning support assistant Francesca Gabel. Richard is a challenging guy, pushing the limits and not giving up on chasing Francesca, despite dating someone else closer to his age. When he finishes school and travels, their friendship continues, but he wants more from Francesca, who is a young woman trying to find her path in life. I was hooked all the way to the end, and loved the tease in each chapter, not knowing if the two will end up together until the end. The relationship suspense was brilliantly plotted. 

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!

I loved the entire series for which this book is the fourth, but this book ensured that I can never go back and read the series again; it hurt that much. Still. I loved it. The characters in this series are family in the deepest, most loving and loyal sense of the word, and it is that sense of family that drives the storyline of this book. This series is sexy and taboo, and yet the biggest thing I took from it was the love and trust that pulsed between them. I wondered, often, if there could not have been a different way, if the author could not have chosen a different storyline, but it is in the difficulties that we sometimes find the stunning. And this story was stunningly beautiful.

I am personally recommending this book because it is hands down one of the funniest books I have ever read. Trevor Lee is unapologetic. He is who he is. He is an Appalachian boy who doesn’t like school much and doesn’t want anyone to know he is not a big reader. To escape Parent’s Night, he tries and fails to get out of it and has to seek his Maw-Maw’s help. I love this book. Whenever I am in a negative space, I can always count on the dog-eared pages to have me cracking up.

For me, it is humor and laughter can be the light we need in the darkest of days. I also love how Maw-Maw has the answer. This book is about the support of family as well. Trevor Lee is unapologetically hysterical. I love this book so much. Everyone should have a copy on his… show more.

The great novelist, Henry James, created a mystery story that has been enormously influential in a genre of novels that followed, such as the works of Agatha Christie.

I have always been a fan of Henry James’s style. It’s not for everyone, of course, but for those who love complex, interesting sentences loaded with lots of insights into human behavior, this is a perfect example. And a great ghost story too.

This is the book that made me want to write a historical romance. The protagonist, Miss Jane Fairfield, is outlandishly rich. But she can’t get married and leave her younger sister, who has epilepsy, to the well-meaning but cruel treatments recommended by their uncle, who is also their guardian. Since her money makes her an appealing target for many an impoverished rake, Jane has to work extra to become unappealing while still seeming like she’s trying to attract a man. She wears obnoxiously bright clothing, insults people with the kindest tone, and—in one desperate attempt to make a man be mean to her—takes the food right off his plate. This is a book about people trying to put you in your place and keep you small. And let me give you a hint: it’s a romance, so there’s definitely a Happily Ever After, and that includes small-minded people getting their… show more.

I don’t usually read sweet, fade-to-black romance (I’m a fan of the full-steam-ahead stuff), but there is so much deadpan Native humor I was howling with laughter the whole time. The Crooked Rock Urban Indian Center staff and regulars are wonderful characters. How they establish this new community in the city, displaced from their tribal communities, is so recognizable for someone who lives 500 miles away from my tribe.