Book picks similar to
Tainted by Love by Gillian Jones
romance
arc
emotional
standalone
What are the Chances
Brittany Taylor - 2019
I thought I’d leave the red-headed stranger with dark green eyes behind and good freaking riddance. Except he’s not even close to being gone. Mason McConnell is everywhere, drawing me in, like an invisible thread. I just hope that string doesn't snap and break my heart. Mason: Two weeks was all I needed to go home, spread my cat’s ashes, and visit my brother. But one foolish decision at the airport managed to throw all my plans off track. Somehow, I had unknowingly cast the line, and Charlotte Kelley took the bait. The chatty, prying American somehow had a way of bringing me back to life. I didn’t want her under my skin, and I certainly wasn’t expecting her to make her way into my heart, yet once she did, I didn’t want her to leave. But with one secret wedged between us, I'm not sure I have the right to ask her to stay.
A Love So Tragic
Stevie J. Cole - 2016
We all make them. Sometimes we break them. But what happens when the promise you break haunts your dreams, when that moment of betrayal echoes within every last beat of your heart? Love. Love is passionate, painful, and all consuming in the most brutal yet beautiful way. How many people have you said 'I love you' to? Five, ten, maybe no one? I've said that word to two men, but only one where I felt it. Tragic. This word sums up my relationship with Nicolas: devastating, painful, depressing. A first love that should have lasted a lifetime, but I ruined with a stupid decision. Nicolas is my star crossed lover, and even though Shakespeare has taught me that stories such as ours always end in tragedy, I can't not love him, even if I'm married to someone else.
The Mason List
S.D. Hendrickson - 2015
An epic hate. An epic story that would last a lifetime.
Today, 8:15 p.m. I hurt. I hurt so deeply, I felt the pain searing in my bones and jabbing like a hot poker into my heart. I knew nothing would make it better as the memories pulled from the crevices of my mind, detailing the bad and the ugly, filling my thoughts with regret as I slipped into the darkness. . . When I was eight, my mother was dying of cancer, my father lost his job, and the bank kicked us out of our house. I was forced to move to the strange town of Arlis, Texas where my father and I slept in our car in the hospital parking lot. Desperate and hopeless, we lived on fumes of our former life. Then one night, everything changed forever. A knock on the car window brought a family into my life that I only wanted to shut out. I hated charity and I hated the Masons. Well, except one. He made it impossible to hate him. Jess Mason had the biggest blue eyes and ornery smile of any boy I had ever seen. He was a ray of sunshine in my dark world. A boy full of adventure, dragging me across the meadow of Sprayberry Ranch; a beautiful Texas paradise full of horses and tree houses that got us into more trouble than anyone ever imagined. Jess was my everything as a kid until we grew up and the rules changed. Instead of living happily ever after with a boy full of love. . . I destroyed it.- Alex Tanner Author Note: The Mason List is a coming-of-age story that follows the life of Alex Tanner from the age of six to twenty-six. The novel crosses the genres of Young Adult and New Adult. The Mason List is a standalone, 118,940 word, full-length novel.
Needing to Fall
Ryan Michele
I’ve lived it, breathed it. Why?Because life hated me. It disliked me from the moment of conception, despised me when I was born, loathed me when I bounced from each foster home, and kicked me in the gut when I watched the one thing that meant everything to me leave.For years, I drifted, unable to find my footing, never knowing what the word stable meant. Then a single moment in time rocked me to my core, changing me and making that solid ground I so desperately craved crumble at my feet, causing me to fall farther than I’d ever imagined. The darkness of the swirling tornado that is depression captured me, pulling me down to its depths, drowning me, suffocating me, owning me.A depth so deep, I didn’t think I’d survive and didn’t care if I did. I only wanted peace. I wanted the pain to disappear. I wanted to be … free. Needing to fall into the cyclone of darkness was the only way I could find the light.**Warning: This book covers many tough issues—including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and abuse. It is a very highly charged, emotional read. You have been warned.****Please note: depression, PSTD, and other issues covered in this book take different lengths of time to combat—some take a lifetime. In this book, time is skewed and sped up to flow with the story line.**
Raw
Belle Aurora - 2014
This is a story of love gone wrong.***Growing up the way I did, you’d think I’d be more screwed up than what I actually am.Soon as I turned sixteen, I left that bump in the road I called home and took my chances on the street.Best decision I ever made.Now, at the age of twenty six, I’m educated, employed and damn good at my job.My friends have become my family. Like me, they know what it’s like to grow up unloved.But the saying is true.The world makes way for those who know where they are going.That’s me.I know where I’m going and I’ll get there eventually. On my own terms and at my own pace.But then there’s him.I feel his eyes on me. I see him hiding in plain sight. He watches me.He makes me feel.It’s unconventional.But it’s real.I’m sure you’re wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker.So am I.This isn’t a story.This is my life.
Crazy Good
Rachel Robinson - 2014
They put the bad in badass because, well… it’s their job.Navy SEAL Maverick Hart has everything. Women want him. Grown men idolize him. Little boys want to grow up and be like him. The job, the glory — it’s all his. Not because it’s handed to him… because he works hard for it. The second his sights lock on something, he owns it — or destroys it. Unfortunately he does both at the same time. Windsor Forbes only takes calculated risks in her profession and in her personal life. After being left at the altar by the only person she’s ever loved, the very last thing she’s looking for is a relationship — especially the insane brand an arrogant Navy SEAL is offering. Hesitant, yet trusting to a fault, she gives in. She knew she shouldn’t take the chance, especially a second time, but love is irrational and their love is perfect, infallible. Or so she thought…The downfall to having everything is you have that much more to lose. A man like Maverick can’t have it all without something slipping out of grasp. Crazy people perish for love. Good people live for it. Love doesn’t die. No matter how many bullets you put in it. *Due to sexual content and graphic language this book is intended for readers 18+.*
Father
Clarissa Wild - 2017
It’s raw. It’s vulgar. It’s downright offensive. But it’s oh so damn delicious with a capital D. If you are easily offended or prudish, please don’t read this book. But if you like a bit of humor mixed in with raunchiness and brawling, you’ll love this book.Contains disturbing situations, strong language, and graphic violence.
Into the Storm
Melanie Moreland - 2013
Pain, loneliness and terror are what she is leaving. Where she is headed doesn’t matter as long as it’s away from the hell her life has become. Joshua Bennett is trapped in a prison of his own making by the memories of his past. Traumatized and isolated, he is a reclusive writer, living a quiet, lonely life, his only companion his dog, Bear. It is what he knows, what he has accepted to be his life.One dark night, one huge storm, and one ice patch brings them together. He finds himself with an unexpected houseguest with no memory. She wakes up a stranger to herself and the man watching her. Even more mysterious is the lack of any sort of identification with her or in her car. She is an enigma to both of them. Trapped by the storm and isolated from the outside world, they slowly open up, learning to trust and love, until the world once again shows up, threatening the fragile peace of their newly discovered world, and tearing them apart. There are many twists and turns as they struggle to find each other, overcoming both the mental and physical elements that keep them apart. A story about overcoming our fears, finding love and learning to live again.
Say the Word
Julie Johnson - 2014
When their paths cross again unexpectedly in New York City, Lux does her best to feign indifference toward her first love. But the harder she tries to hold Sebastian at arm’s length, the more determined he becomes to uncover the secrets she’s been keeping about their past… and the true reason she broke his heart seven years earlier.She’s as much in love with him as ever; he’s just as furious at her for leaving. But beneath the anger, forbidden attraction still simmers… and it’s only a matter of time before it boils over. When the past is finally unearthed, the monsters Lux spent seven years running from will finally catch up to her. And nothing – not even her love for Sebastian – will be enough to save her… **SAY THE WORD is a steamy, suspenseful standalone contemporary romance for fans of action and angst. Due to sexual situations, adult language, violence, and thematic elements, it is intended for readers ages 16 and up.**
Lovesick
T.L. Smith - 2017
Broken is what he was. Broken is what I will always be.To his eyes, that held so much despair, I couldn’t look for long. To his fist, that clenched so tightly, like he was locking away the sorrow. To his lips, that never uttered a word, from the years of heartbreak. And despite it all, I couldn’t stay away from him. It was like he was drowning in an ocean, and I wanted to grab his face, and whisper to his lips, “Don’t forget to breathe.”This was how I fell for a man. A man who was so lovesick, I was afraid he would drown me in that same ocean he was lost in.***Standalone***
Hard Time
Cara McKenna - 2014
Tall frame, wide shoulders-but not burly. His near-black hair was due for a cut, curling under his ears. Dark brows, dark stubble, dark lashes and eyes.And he was handsome. So handsome it broke your heart.A deck of cards was split between his hands, paused midshuffle. Some of the men wore navy scrub tops and bottoms, some navy tee shirts, a few white undershirts. This man wore a tee, with COUSINS stenciled on the front, above the number 802267. Those digits imprinted on my brain, burned black as a brand.He watched me. But not the way the others did. If he was trying to picture me naked, his poker face was strong, though his attention anything but subtle. His entire head moved as I passed through his domain, but his eyes were languorous. Lazy and half-lidded, yet intense. A hundred looks in one. I didn't like it. Couldn't read it. At least with the horny jerk-offs, I knew where I stood.I wondered what the worst thing you could do and still only get sent to a medium-security prison was. I hoped not to ever learn the answer. And I hoped to heaven inmate 802267 hadn't signed up for any of the day's programs.
Incentive
Pam Godwin - 2017
When Decker Gabrielli hits rock bottom, he accepts a job as a hired companion at Infidelity. Surrendering a year of his life to a woman he’s never met might be the worst idea ever. But money, prestige, and sex are powerful incentives. That is, until the job becomes more than a contractual agreement. Hard limits are breached, panties are shredded, and rules are broken. In the end, his secret to getting ahead is… her.
Make You Mine
Tia Louise - 2018
I was too old to have them, so I left to join the military.Four years passed. Loss, injury, angry words I can never take back… I’m home, but I’m not the same.Neither is she.Now she’s a woman with flashing blue eyes, long blonde hair, and gorgeous curves.Still, she’s the same sweet smile, the same sassy mouth…I could never say No to her before.I should for her sake. She deserves better than what I’ve become, scarred and damaged. “They told me to stay away from you.I went away to try… God, I tried.Now everything has changed. I’m back, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you mine…”
Hard
Cheryl McIntyre - 2015
Watching her. Memorizing her. For ninety-two days, I’ve looked into those lifeless green eyes. And for ninety-two days she has inspired me in ways I never knew possible. A muse, unbeknownst to her. Motivating me. Encouraging my darkest desires. I’m a man who knows what he wants. And what I want is the beautiful and broken Holland Howard. My name is Jensen Payne—photographer, autocrat, lecher, Scopophiliac. I am who I am and I will not—cannot—change. WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS POSSIBLE EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS FOR SOME READERS. PLEASE TAKE THIS WARNING SERIOUSLY. Recommended for readers 18+ ONLY.
To Burn in Brutal Rapture
Nyla K. - 2020
To heal was to remember what my godfather told me when I was six… Pain is a part of life. If you prepare for it, it will hurt less. He would know, after all. Lazarus Weston is pain personified. The scowling man with stormy eyes and tattoos covering his excessive muscles is not only my godfather, but also my dad’s business partner and best friend. A permanent fixture in our lives. Well, in Dad’s, not mine. But when grief mixes with confusing new feelings, I’m forced to see Lazarus differently, in a way that severely complicates my world. Because he’s too old for me. He’ll never be mine. I’m not allowed to have him, but obsession burns a fine line between can’t and won’t. I can’t want her…The curse on my heart is heavy, the tale of my malediction drenched in brutal loss. Wearing ink like scars reminds me of the tomb I left behind. I’ve been expecting pain all my life, yet I’m still unprepared, failing to see my downfall until she’s wrapped around my soul like barbed wire. Tracien Wright. My best friend’s daughter. Part of my life strictly through association. She was never meant to be more than that. But Traci is a trickster. A skilled predator in the most unexpected package, oblivious to her own power. She’ll learn the hard way that not all beasts should be hunted. I’m not what she thinks I am, having rose from a pit, only to bury myself in secrets and lies.Deep down I’d love nothing more than to have her. But I don’t get to keep nice things. **To Burn In Brutal Rapture is a standalone novel which contains sensitive subjects that may be triggering to some. Open-minded readers only! Please do not read or post spoilers.**