Book picks similar to
Pocketful of Blame by Chloe Walsh
romance
bully
high-school
new-adult
Unraveling You
Jessica Sorensen - 2014
Outgoing, spunky, and musically talented, she’s constantly surrounded by family and friends, yet she still feels there’s something missing. Then she meets her new next-door neighbor Ayden Gregory. Mysterious, sweet, and sad, Ayden is the exact opposite of Lyric and exactly what she needs to fill the void in her life. Ayden has been through more than most people and believes his life is always going to be rocky, so when he’s suddenly adopted by the Gregorys, he’s thrown for a turn. But even with a new, loving family, he still finds himself haunted by the memories of his old life. The only true breath of fresh air is when he’s with his best friend, Lyric Scott. As Lyric and Ayden grow closer, the lines of their friendship start to blur. But when Ayden's past unexpectedly pushes its way into his new life, their friendship and newfound attraction will be tested. **A novel about Ella and Micha's daughter and Lila and Ethan's son from The Secret Series. However, this series can be read on its own.**
Into the Deep
Samantha Young - 2013
Live hard. Love deep.Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…
Striker
Rachel Leigh - 2020
MarniI wasn't supposed to be at that house.I should have never wandered away from the party.And I definitely shouldn't have pressed my ear to that door.The words I heard play in my mind like a record on repeat.Now, they want my silence.The four guys who terrorize the streets of Redwood as a sport will stop at nothing to make sure that my lips are sealed.What they don't know is that I refuse to go down without a fight. TalonMarni Thorn thinks she's holding all the cards. She believes she's harboring our secret. Little does she know, it wasn't ours to begin with. We made a rule that she's off limits.But a body like that is meant to be touched. Limits are pushed, and rules are broken. But one thing is for certain, I have my little rebel right where I want her.Striker is a Dark Bully Romancethat contains explicit sexual content,graphic language, and situations that somereaders may find uncomfortable.
Wild Reckless
Ginger Scott - 2015
It involved her best friends, her posh private school in downtown Chicago and time alone with her piano until her audition was perfected, a guaranteed ticket into the best music programs in the world.Instead, a nightmare took over.It didn’t happen all at once, but her life unraveled quickly—a tiny thread that evil somehow kept pulling until everything precious was taken from her. She was suddenly living miles away from her old life, trapped in an existence she didn’t choose—one determined to destroy her from the inside, leaving only hate and anger behind. It didn’t help that her neighbor, the one whose eyes held danger, was enjoying every second of her fall.Owen Harper was trouble, his heart wild and his past the kind that’s spoken about in whispers. And somehow, his path was always intertwined with Kensington’s, every interaction crushing her, ruining her hope for any future better than her now. Sometimes, though, what everyone warns is trouble, is exactly what the heart needs. Owen Harper was consumed with darkness, and it held onto his soul for years. When Kensington looked at him, she saw a boy who’d gotten good at taking others down when they threatened his carefully balanced life. But the more she looked, the more she saw other things too—good things…things to admire.Things…to love. Things that made her want to be reckless.And those things…they were the scariest of all.** This book is a standalone with no cliffhanger. A second, full-length companion novel about a related character, Andrew Harper, is out now. Wicked Restless also available on Amazon. **
Tormented
Esme Devlin - 2019
I would never have played with fire and I would never have let it consume me. I would have listened to my friend. I would have packed my bags and left. I would have let him win. But you can’t know what you don’t know. I couldn’t have known about the secrets, the deception, the manipulation. I could never have predicted the damage a single kiss could cause. But what I do know is that I’m a hell of a lot stronger than I was when I moved halfway across the world to Scotland. He can push, he can pull, he can torment me and he can humiliate me. He won’t break me. Because you can’t really break something that’s already broken. Please note that Tormented is a DARK bully romance intended for mature audiences of 18+ only. It contains mature themes that may trigger readers. This is book 1 in a series and cannot be read as a standalone novel. Cliffy alert, but I promise it will be worth it.
The Art of Falling For You
Maya Hughes - 2021
In her glasses and stage crew black clothes she has a knack for fading into the background. She’s probably the only one who rolls her eyes when I walk past instead of cheering on my last touchdown play. But before I can shove her into the recesses of my mind filed under “Not my problem” she lands herself smack dab in the middle of my dreams. I catch her singing with a voice unlike any I’ve heard before that taps into feelings I shouldn’t have for the girl who avoids me at all costs. With three months until graduation, the final play is on. Only it’s not for more points. It’s for Bay. Unlike my success on the field, this win is anything but assured. But I can’t stop myself from taking the risk. There’s no flashing scoreboard. There’s no cheering crowd. There’s only her and me. The countdown clock is ticking. The only thing scarier than finding my first love will be losing her.The Art of Falling for You is the first book in the new Fulton U universe sports romance, Falling trilogy.
Breaking Him
R.K. Lilley - 2015
I gave it everything. And so when it failed, I lost myself.It changed me. He changed me.I went down with the ship.My soul, burnt embers in the aftermath. The fire of him ravaged it all.He burned me. Broke me.—Scarlett had always dreamed big. She was headed straight for Hollywood. Destined for silver screen greatness.But in her wildest dreams she never imagined she’d be broke and single at twenty-eight, doling drinks at thirty-five thousand feet.She was a glorified waitress in the skies.It had been years since she’d seen him.But one day, there he sat, gazing intently at her, ready to set everything ablaze once more.Dante wanted her. Again.Sure, she’d play along…but this time, it was his turn.She was breaking him.After all, love is war.
Facing The Enemy
M.E. Clayton - 2019
Growing up in an abusive household, she endured a life of violence that ultimately led to the murder of her mother. However, she's only a couple of months away from turning 18, so she's got it covered. At least, she thought she did until her guilt ridden aunt comes and takes her in. Now, living miles away, where money is worshipped like a deity, she realizes she's a far cry away from the trailer park she called home. Ramsey Reed wasn't blinded by money, power or social standing, even though he had all three of those things in spades. He knew people with money were just as degenerate as people without it. The wealthy were just able to pay people to look the other way, while the poor could not. He was only 18-years-old, but he was already sick and tired of the people around him. They were nothing but tools he used for his entertainment, and he found himself not being entertained much these days. When Emerson shows up at a pre-school year party and meets Ramsey, their connection sparks a battle of wills so strong, neither is certain if they'll be able to hold on to their sanity. And, yet, neither of them cared. Warning: While the story contains a HEA, it is a dark romance, bully read. It contains triggers and can be offensive to some readers. Please do not purchase if sensitive to such materials.
A Love Song for Liars
Piper Lawson - 2020
I will never forgive his betrayal.But some nights... He makes me want to.A Love Song for Liars is Book 1 in the angsty new adult, academy-inspired Rivals trilogy. From USA Today bestselling romance author Piper Lawson!
Constant
Rachel Higginson - 2017
I fell in love with him. I promised I would never leave him. I swore nothing could break us apart. Five years ago I broke my promise. I ran away. I took the one secret that could destroy us both and disappeared. Five days ago I thought I saw him. I knew it was impossible. Sayer was locked away, serving a deserved sentence in federal prison. He couldn’t find me. He wouldn’t find me. I was too good at hiding. Too good at surviving. Because if Sayer ever found me, there would be hell to pay for a plethora of sins. The worst of which, he didn’t even know about. Five hours ago, I told myself I was crazy. Five minutes ago, I saw him again. Five seconds ago, I was too late.
Keep You from Harm
Debra Doxer - 2013
I’ve kept a secret all my life. It’s my mother’s secret, too. I inherited it from her along with a unique ability that only we possess. She’s gone now, another victim of addiction. If her death isn’t enough to bring me to my knees, her betrayal flays me to the bone. Because the secret my mother and I have been keeping is just one of many she’d kept. She never told me I have an older brother. And now he’s here, eager to be my guardian.There is no one else. So I move across the country to live with this stranger, my brother. But experience has taught me that most situations are temporary and forming attachments only leads to hurt in the end. That’s why I’m determined to keep to myself in this new place, struggling to seem aloof while I’m quietly breaking apart. Then I meet Lucas…His magnetism is hard to resist, and most girls at school aren’t resisting. I don’t fall so easily though, especially not for guys who use their good looks as a weapon. From the start, our interactions are tense and volatile. I know it’s because I’m denying the unwelcome desire that grips me when he’s near. I think he feels it, too. He looks at me with an intensity that threatens to unhinge my resolve. Soon he’s trying to break through the walls that past hurts have built. But I’m not what I appear to be, and it wouldn’t be fair to get involved with him. At least that’s what I tell myself. Until a terrible act of violence reveals that Lucas has a secret, too. It’s a secret that links us together and ties us to an evil history I could never have imagined.
All the Little Lies
S.J. Sylvis - 2020
The stone gargoyles sit at the school’s entrance, knowing just as much as anyone: I don’t belong. Once upon a time, I did. I belonged in the “it” crowd with all the other well-endowed kids, but now, I am no longer welcome. Not after five years away from this place. Not after the scandal that landed me on the wrong side of the tracks. I’d be lying if I said I’m not looking forward to seeing the one person who was always by my side. My old best friend. My safe place. Only, Christian isn’t the same boy I left behind. His cold, brooding, devastatingly attractive glare sends chills down my spine. My old best friend doesn’t welcome me with open arms, and I have no idea why. Lies continue to fall from our lips. Christian wants me gone. But I’m determined to stay.
Playing Patience
Tabatha Vargo - 2013
Being a punching bag for his alcoholic father has turned him into stone. Not even the dodgy trailer park he lives in can scare him. Fighting is his release and sex, drugs, and his guitar bring him peace, but deep down Zeke isn't quite as hard as he makes himself out to be. When he meets Patience, she finds all his broken pieces and puts him back together. She's a ray of light in his shadowed life and the last thing he wants to do is bring her into his dark world. Playing careless is easy, playing the bad guy can be fun, but playing Patience is impossible, especially when she can see right through him. Zeke isn't the only one who's broken, and for the first time in a long time, Patience feels alive. Her black and white world gets a shot of color when she meets Zeke. With his tattoos, piercings, and blunt honesty, he's unlike anyone she's ever met. She wants nothing more than to let go and ride the wild side with him, but some wounds never heal and the broken pieces of Patience aren't so easy to find.
Weightless
Kandi Steiner - 2016
I remember I wanted to photograph them, the way the red and blue splashed across his cold, emotionless face. But I knew even if my feet could move from the place where they had cemented themselves to the ground and I could run for my camera, I wouldn’t be able to capture that moment. I had trusted him, I had loved him, and even though my body had changed that summer, he’d made sure to help me hold on to who I was inside, regardless of how the exterior altered. But then everything changed. He stole my innocence. He scarred my heart. He took everything I thought I knew about my life and fast-pitched it out the window, shattering the glass that held my world together in the process. I remember the lights. The passionate, desperate, hot strikes of red. The harsh, cruel, icy bolts of blue. They symbolized everything I endured that summer. And everything I would never face again.
Dirty Wicked Prince
Eden O'Neill - 2021
I had the audacity of breathing his air. Dirty. Rotten. Savages.The Legacy boys are Windsor Preparatory Academy’s most privileged. No one crosses the devil spawn of this town’s upper echelon, but I managed. I call one of them out my first day, and no one hears it louder than their blond prince. Evil. Wicked. Twisted. Dorian Prinze is as cruel as he is beautiful and once he sets his sights on me, he refuses to let go. Apparently, I bother him by simply existing at my new school and no matter what I do, I can’t stay off the radar of him and his boys. He says I make too much noise and stupid me for not caring. Some really messed up stuff brought my brother and me to this town, and I won’t bow down to these elitist pricks. Something tells me going to war with the cruel prince of Maywood Heights may level both our foundations, but I won’t go down without a fight. I’ll do whatever it takes to win Dorian’s devious and twisted games. Even if he promises I’ll scream for him by the end.