Book picks similar to
Hurt Me by C.G. Blaine


arcs
romance
5-stars
stand-alone

The Fine Art of Pretending: A Fake Relationship, Falling For Your Best Friend Romance


Rachel Harris - 2014
    Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date-Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy's biggest hottie and most notorious player.With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school's second biggest hottie, and now Aly's pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from funny friend to tempting vixen is only a matter of time.But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable break up leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can't explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

Baby Mine


Kennedy Fox - 2019
    Gorgeous. Feisty.I was captivated.But it didn’t matter because when she walks out of my best friend’s bedroom half naked, I know I’ve lost my chance.Now we’re roommates and constantly fighting about our living arrangements. Though we argue about everything, I can’t stop thinking about her in all the wrong ways. I should move out so I can finally get over her, but the selfish part of me can’t let go.When tragedy strikes, we’re left to deal with it together. Instead of pushing her away, I pull her closer.Just as we come to terms with our new reality, she reveals a life changing event that affects us both.And I’m left to make the hardest decision of my life—remain friends or confess my feelings and risk it all.BABY MINE is book 1 in the Hunter & Lennon duet and must be read first.

Ignite


Tessa Teevan - 2013
    One to the Army; the other in a tragic car accident. Two years after the latter, a ghost from the past reappears, igniting feelings in Alexa she’d thought long dormant.Jace McAllister has spent the last ten years in the Army, defusing bomb after bomb, trying to forget the girl who once set his world on fire. For him, she’s always been the one who got away. After a not-so-chance encounter places her back in his line of sight, he’s locked eyes on target, and won’t let her go without a fight.Ten years ago their chemistry smoldered, and now the sparks threaten to light a fuse leading to an explosion between them even Jace can’t control. Not that he wants to. But when love has slipped through your fingertips before, how can you trust it will once again remain?Will Alexa’s fear of love and loss destroy their second chance at a beautiful future before it can even begin?

Those Chance Encounters


Sana Khatri - 2019
    I wanted her, craved her, yearned for her...She wanted nothing to do with me, but I was an adamant bastard through, and freaking through...Amara:He pulled at my being with the very first wink he gave me. I desired him, ached for him, broke entirely for him.He didn't live up to his promise, keeping me waiting...praying...hoping...dreaming... This book contains discussions and mentions of triggering matters such as body-shaming, eating disorder, and bullying. If the listed elements make you hesitant or uncomfortable, consideration is advised.

Sweet Keeper (Sweet Talkers, #1)


Thalia Sanchez - 2020
    until I met Stanley McKinley.From the moment that I met him, I knew that I was going to hate his guts, that he was everything that I'm not, everything I despise.One mistake.That's all it took for our paths to collide and merge into one,and I can't find a way to get rid of the magnetic pull he has over me.I want to push him away, to do everything in my power to keep him as a friend—at most.But friends aren't supposed to flirt and look at each other the way we do.I shouldn't want him... but I do.And there's nothing I can do to change before I mess him up too.STANLEYShe thinks that I'm a golden boy, that I'm the perfect guy.Rich and spoiled asshole that can have everything he wants in life.I'm neither of those things.From the moment I met her, Bree Pierce got under my skin and I can't get her out of my system, no matter how hard I try to. I was an inconvenience for her, someone she only spoke to because we made a mistake, not even worthy of being her friend. But I don't want her friendship.I want her.And I'm willing to do whatever it takes for her to choose me, to keep me as much as I want to keep her.Even if it ruins everything that we have.

I Stand Before You


S.R. Grey - 2013
    How can you move forward when you're anchored to the past?When it comes to tattooed bad boys, Chase Gartner was the real deal. Partying, engaging in meaningless sex, getting into fights---Chase indulged in it all during his late teen years, thus firmly solidifying his status as a heartbreakingly gorgeous but way-too-dangerous-to-trust guy in his hometown of Harmony Creek, Ohio. Then, following one fateful night of reckless decisions, Chase's actions finally caught up to him and landed him in prison.Now, four years have passed and Chase finds himself a free man. He returns to Harmony Creek, ready to pick up the pieces and start rebuilding his shattered life. Things are off to a promising start when he meets Kay Stanton, a young woman with a tragic past of her own. Despite a powerful attraction, Chase and Kay are naturally hesitant to become involved. That's why friendship feels like the safest option. But when passions ignite and love blossoms, a relationship that is destined and meant to be can only be resisted for so long. When Chase and Kay finally succumb to their feelings they realize being together feels more right and true than anything they have ever experienced. But their love is soon tested. Chase's wild past still haunts and tempts him, and Kay is keeping a secret that could tear them apart. I Stand Before You is a journey of hope and forgiveness, coming to terms with the past and moving forward. But mostly it's a story of two damaged people who take a chance, open their hearts, and find true love. New Adult/Contemporary Romance genres. First in a series. ***warning: contains explicit sexual situations, drug use, some violence, and profanity***

My Holiday Secret: A Fake Fiancé Contemporary Christmas Romance


Jackson Kane - 2016
    and if anyone finds out, I'm screwed.I did everything I could to get away from my family, but somehow, I've let my sister drag me home for the holidays. Now that I'm back, everyone expects to finally meet my fiancé.The only problem is I don't have one. He dumped me, and they have no clue.I can't let them find out I'm single. Luckily, after a one-night stand with a bad boy bouncer—the chiseled and grizzled Vance Mathis—I've got a plan: Hire him to be my fiancé for the family Christmas party.When he pulls that mistletoe out of his pocket, I know he's only looking to jingle my bells. Even so, it's getting harder and harder to keep my hands off him.I only wanted him to play pretend, but after our not-so-silent night together, I'm starting to want something real.My Holiday Secret has been polished just in time for the holidays. With a new edit, a Christmas shine, and now traditionally published, kick back and prepare to swoon.

Ensnared


J.S. Scott - 2018
    Scott. Wildlife conservationist Jade Sinclair isn’t used to having money. But when she and her siblings learned they were part of the mega-rich Sinclair dynasty, they became billionaires overnight. Jade doesn’t even know how to act rich, especially when she’s dealing with an arrogant, privileged, unreasonably sexy snob like Eli Stone.Unlike Jade, Eli grew up rich, and he just keeps getting richer. Eli is always looking for an adventure, and he’s found an inviting one in Jade—as resistant as she is irresistible. His less-than-honorable plan? Get her alone in the wilderness by buying out all the spots in her survival class.Calling a truce, they strike a bargain: Jade will teach Eli basic survival skills, and he’ll teach her how to navigate the world of the wealthy elite. Jade has only one condition—she will not let herself be seduced by him. But some things are easier said than done…

The Way We Dance


Katie Rae - 2021
    Everything about me exuded prim and proper. At least that was the part of me everyone saw. Tyson Black was a struggling football player. Big and scary looking. Tattoos and muscles everywhere. Kind of annoying.He was also my newest ballet student. Neither one of us were thrilled about it,And it only took us one lesson to learn we didn’t see eye to eye. But after a series of break-ins in Atlanta, including one in my studio,I was on edge and my stoic demeanor started slipping.Everything seemed to be spiraling. Somehow, I managed to push through my fears and teach my classes. It helped that Ty and I had found a rhythm we could agree on. Eventually, I was able to see that we had a lot more in common than just the way we danced.And while that should have been what brought us together, it was actually what threatened to keep us apart.

Tempting Bad


M. Robinson - 2015
    BrookeI’ve come from a privileged life and an even more privileged upbringing. My parents taught me right from wrong and everything in between… except I wanted the gray area. I wanted to live life on the edge with the possibility of falling over. I didn’t care about the consequences because I had no heart…I left that on the floor of my parents’ bedroom door, shattered.And never went back to pick up the pieces.DevonFamily first.I learned the meaning of the word hate.I learned that life is a battlefield and I stood frontline.I learned that praying doesn’t work and God doesn’t listen.And I learned how to be a man…All at the receiving end of my father’s fists, my mother’s tears, and my sisters screams.You can’t run away from your past…It will always find you, especially when you’re asleep.Warning: Book contains adult situations. Sex/language. Mature readers only.

Empire of Desire


Rina Kent - 2021
    It just happened.Nathaniel Weaver is the most attractive man I’ve ever seen with enough charisma to blind the sun.He’s bigger than the world, owns half of it and conquered the other half.He was forbidden. Wrong.So I totally got over him. Or so I told myself.Until we’re forced to get married.Now I’m trapped.But maybe he’s trapped too.Because we’re both reaching for that forbidden fruit dangling between us.Empire of Desire is a complete STANDALONE. No book should be read prior to this.Note: This is NOT a dark romance.

Living in Sin


Isabel Lucero - 2013
    Intended for mature audiences only.** Jace Jamison is every woman’s fantasy. He’s a mysterious businessman willing to sweep you off your feet, a tattooed bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and a sexy friend you want to take that next step with. Jace is everything and anything you want him to be. He’s a highly paid escort. But nobody knows who Jace really is; the man whose dad abandoned him, whose brother was killed, and who had to take care of his mom at a young age. At the age of nineteen, he was living in Sin City, ready for a life away from stress and struggle. Adrienne has been having a sexual drought since she broke up with her boyfriend. Even then she wasn’t getting fully satisfied. Being an event planner, she’s constantly working at numerous events. Several times she’s seen a man she can only refer to as the God-like creature at her work functions. He’s devastatingly handsome, tall, and has beautiful eyes, but he’s always with a different woman. The last thing she needs is another player in her life. After a few chance encounters with Jace, her best friend convinces her to just get some good sex out of him and not worry about who she’s seen him with. But what happens when she finds out that he isn’t dating these women because he wants to, but because he’s paid to? Keeping his job a secret from Adrienne seems easy at first, but when she begins meeting people he knows in his escort life, and they begin getting closer, he knows he has to tell her before someone else does. When their worlds entwine, and confessions are made, will they be able to work through it? Will she be able to push aside his sins and focus on the good in him? Will Jace get what he’s never had? A woman who wants him despite what he’s done. Or will living in sin cost him what he never knew he wanted? *An erotic, contemporary romance* *Book one in a series, but can be read as a standalone.*--As it's been mentioned a lot, I want to warn you of the first chapter. For some people, it's hot and amazing, and they love it! For others, it's shocking and not for them. However, don't let it scare you away, it's not like that the whole way through. Others who were taken aback by it, ended up giving it 5 stars.It is an erotic book though, so there will be adult situations. ;)--

Surrendering the Dark (Lucifer and Amalie's Story, #1)


S.J. West - 2019
    Wasn’t it enough that He cast me out of Heaven and forced me to live among the humans? Now, He’s dangling the promise of a soulmate in front of my face hoping for… what? That I’ll give up my quest to destroy humanity once and for all? That I’ll miraculously find my true self again? He only has Himself to blame for the monster I’ve become and the destruction I’ve caused. If He thinks bringing this girl into my life will halt everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve, it just proves He doesn’t know me at all.Yet, I can’t ignore the undeniable attraction I feel for the latest of Lilly’s descendants. Of course she’s beautiful. That’s a given. But there’s something in her eyes, an innocence and strength, that draws me to her, wanting to discover more about her, causing me to desire to make her mine.   Amalie I never thought wishes could come true, but the moment I saw Lucifer I knew mine had finally been granted. I come from a long line of strong women who have dedicated their lives to a singular purpose: defeating the forces of evil in order to protect the universe from their influence. Having my soul paired with Lucifer’s seems like a cosmic calamity, but there’s something in his eyes when he looks at me. I can see his desire to be accepted for who he is by someone who won’t judge him for his past deeds. Am I the one meant to lead his life down a different path? Can my love help Lucifer remember the angel he once was before his fall from Grace? I don’t have the answers to those questions, but my heart tells me our love will be everlasting and strong enough to change a soul ravaged by hatred and loneliness for far too long. This is a part of my Watcher series of books. Minimum reading for this story is The Redemption Series (Malcolm, Anna, Lucifer, and Redemption). Reading Order of Watcher Books by Series (All books FREE to read through Kindle Unlimited): The Watchers Trilogy (Ages 13+) Cursed Blessed Forgiven The Watcher Chronicles (Ages 17+ due to mature content and themes) Broken Kindred Oblivion Ascension Caylin's Story (Ages 13+ - Can be read by younger readers without having to read the Watcher Chronicles) Timeless Devoted Aiden's Story (Ages 17+ due to mature content and themes) Alternate Earth Series (Ages 17+ due to mature content and themes) Cataclysm

Shagged


Alex Wolf - 2018
    I avoid them whenever possible. They always want something from me whether it’s money or attention. My ten-figure net worth isn’t the product of being what people would consider a “nice guy.” When I see something I want—I take it. I’ve been called an asshole more times than I can count, and I don’t care. Caring about things makes you vulnerable, and vulnerable is the last thing I’ll ever be. Until Christina walks in and threatens the foundation of my life with her tight little body, sassy mouth, and soft curves. She doesn’t put up with my sh*t. She makes me human. I fight the attraction. But, there’s one problem… I have to have her. I will have her.

Best of Intentions


L.K. Farlow - 2019
    Aside from being my best friend’s older brother, he’s a cocky, smooth-talking, panty-dropping playboy of a cop. And yet, I’m helplessly drawn to him. His charm and good looks reduce me to a fumbling, mumbling teenaged version of myself, which pretty much guarantees that nothing will ever come of my silly crush. Until the night of my best friend’s wedding. Jenny Jones is the definition of innocence. She’s also my little sister’s best friend, making her completely off limits. She’s a forever kind of girl with hearts in her eyes, where I’ve always been more of a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy. Until a night spent between the sheets with her has me questioning everything I thought I wanted. I tried my hardest to stay away, but you know what they say about the best intentions . . .