Book picks similar to
Sanctuary of Mine by Shelly Pratt


young-adult
high-school
contemporary-romance
college

Falling to Pieces


Amber Garza - 2013
    Asher was close to learning the truth about me, and I couldn’t let that happen.But now everyone hates me. Well, everyone except for Asher. He believes in me even after what I’ve done.And when I’m with him I feel like I’m falling.I just hope if I do, he’s there to catch me.

Forever Altered


D.J. Pierson - 2013
    The two of them were best friends for as long as she could remember. He had always been her rock and now he was the cause of her pain. They were supposed to finish college, get married, and live happily ever after. Her hopes and dreams were destroyed, along with her faith in the opposite sex. That is until Rocco Matthews walks into her life. Rocco is devastatingly handsome, smart, charming as hell, a play-the-field kind of guy. Unfortunately, he has his own issues that need to be dealt with. When Alyssa attempts to keep her distance from him, he tries even harder to get closer to her. What happens after that will leave them both…Forever Altered.

You Got Me


Mercy Amare - 2013
    She writes on her arms to escape the pain, but nothing can soothe the ache that she feels.Aiden didn't go to college to meet girls, he came to play football. Too bad that it is impossible for him to stay away from Roxy.After meeting on the roof, they instantly feel connected, but neither of them are ready for love.You Got Me is a story about new beginnings, and finding love when you least expect it.

Pretending


Shanna Clayton - 2014
    That’s how long Wesley Kent has to live with the girl his dad shacked him up with, and then he can collect his inheritance and escape small town life. He gets through the prison sentence by pretending Dahlia Reynolds doesn’t exist. With three years down and one more to go, he doesn’t expect much to change. That is, until the girl that’s not supposed to exist sharpens into his reality, making it impossible to ignore her.Three years.That’s how long Dahlia Reynolds has been living with a total stranger. She’s convinced herself Wesley Kent is no more than an illusion in the hallways. It’s easy to do, especially since that same illusion has never spoken more than two words to her. But one mistaken identity later, and she finds herself caught up in the mysterious world Wesley lives in. One by one, he begins knocking down the safe, comfortable walls she built, leaving her wondering what his motives are. Does he want to expose her—or free her?Recommended for 17+ due to mature language and adult situations.

Fresh Ice


Rachelle Vaughn - 2013
    This is one family reunion that could cost Sarah her life.

Inhale, Exhale


Sarah M. Ross - 2013
    When her mom insists she needs a summer job, and her boyfriend spends more time with his band than with her, Jillian’s plans go down the drain. Grant had a plan: finish his Masters, get a great job at Google, and get the hell out of Georgia. He might be giving up some of the fun of his youth, but he knows his all work and no play method would be worth it when his dreams came true. But things never go according to plan. When temptation brings them together and tragedy tears them apart, Jillian and Grant will be forced to choose: fight for their dreams, or fight for each other.

Forever With You


Renae Kelleigh - 2013
    Dating boys, or even just KISSING them, was something I simply hadn't gotten around to. And honestly, even after finally leaving home, jumping into some version of romance still wasn't among my top priorities. That was, of course, before Kyle Freeman came back into my life. His idea of a relationship may not exactly align with mine, but we can work around that, right? For the first time, I'm giving some serious thought to breaking a few of my unspoken rules...KYLEI'm sure there are a lot of viable theories that could explain the root cause of my aversion to relationships (aside from the Biblical variety, that is). Too bad I've never had much interest in exploring the why's and how's of that particular aspect of my psyche. But then came Tawny Read. Now, suddenly, I have much bigger concerns than which parties are likely to have the highest girl-to-guy ratios - like convincing Tawny that I'm capable of being good enough for her, for example...Contains mature adult themes, including strong language and explicit sexuality.

What Endures


Katie Lee - 2013
    But their hopes for a ‘happily-ever-after’ are dashed by tragedy.A horrific car accident wipes out most of Jason's memories. Unable to recall anything from the last fifteen years of his life, Jason is suddenly adrift, his once charmed life now in ruins.Megan finds herself in the untenable position of having to deal with the fact that the man she’s helping to rebuild his life may look, and even act, like her beloved fiancé, but in reality, isn’t any longer.Trying to protect herself, as well as Jason, Megan fights the attraction between them. . .to no avail. As their potent connection inevitably draws them closer, Megan wonders,With the memories of their relationship gone, can love endure?

Hope's Chance


Jennifer Foor - 2012
    A Hope and a Chance is based on the story formally known as Hope's Chance with changes/updates to some character names and information.When Hope's parents divorced two years ago, her life was turned upside down. To pass the time and avoid family issues, she took extra classes and graduated six months before turning eighteen. After being estranged for more than a year, her father moves back to their hometown. Hope is reluctant to visit him for the first time, but her mother insists. The visit to his new mansion is not what she expected until she meets the secret guy living in the pool house.A year ago, Chance Avery was on his way to a law degree courtesy of Penn State University, but something terrible happened. Chance has lost everyone in his life, except for his sister. When she moves to Virginia, he has no choice but to come along. With an agreement to renovate the Mansion, he gets to live in the pool house on the property. His life is boring and meaningless, until one day someone comes barging in his door.When Hope and Chance run into each other again, they end up spending the night together, thinking they never have to see each other again. Then Hope finds out she has to move in with her father, who has already warned Chance that he is not allowed to touch his daughter.Staying apart is a lot harder than either of them expected, and soon their feelings intensify to a breaking point, leaving them helplessly in love with one another. Will they be able to hide their relationship until Hope turns eighteen?

Old Enough to Love...


Kristi Pelton - 2013
    Even if she accepts it, she must lie to her parents and those around her. She’s always been… Just one of the boys… and now a man sees her as so much more… Can she convince him that she is old enough to love?Old Enough to Love is the story of Emma Hendricks, or Runt as she’s known to her older brother and his friends. Emma—born prematurely has always been physically smaller than other girls. Protected by a posse of guys, led by her brother, she’s pretty much off limits as dating material for anyone in their small high school—until Zach Owens, a senior from San Francisco moves to the small town of Ashland, Oregon and is oblivious to the unspoken rule. Emma, an inexperienced fifteen-year-old, is smitten with Zach and the undeniable attraction brewing between them. She attempts to compete with the older girls to maintain Zach’s affections and believes she is ready to take the relationship to the next level. Though she is eager to easily bid her virginity farewell; she misunderstands his hesitations. Zach is on twelve months supervised probation and caught a lucky break the first time around. He adamantly refuses to participate in any activity that would lead to juvenile detention, and he is frightened he’ll lose Emma if specific information about his past is revealed. Zach and Emma uncover blooming passionate emotions while discovering first time love, all the while reining in nearly uncontrollable desires. Meanwhile, their biggest obstacles are the battle with her brother, her brother’s buddies and Zach’s elusive past.

Beyond the Horizon


Kristen Kehoe - 2013
    Three years ago, her brother left her family, choosing a girl over the Evans name. Watching her mother cry and her father shut the rest of them out, Mia made a promise to herself that she would be the one to bring them back together again. Yet, despite her acceptance to Stanford, her perfect academic record, and a flawless resume`, Mia finds her family getting further and further apart.Enter Ryan Murphy, the boy next door. Ryan has loved Mia Evans since the day he saw her sitting on her front porch weeping into her knees. Fifteen then, Ryan had been unsure of what to do, so he'd sat at his window and watched over her, and in that time, a piece of him became hers.Now, three years later, Ryan hasn't told Mia how he feels, but he gets the chance when he's forced to beg her to tutor him and save him from his mother. As their relationship progresses, Ryan realizes that Mia is more than he could have ever dreamed of, and that his feelings go a lot deeper than he ever imagined possible. And still, can they work?Mia didn't want to want Ryan Murphy. Just the opposite, actually. She agreed to tutor him because that's her job, but she doesn't have to like it, or the fact that she can't seem to stop noticing how gorgeous he is.Against all of her better judgment, Mia finds herself falling for Ryan, and falling hard. When the time comes for Mia to make the same decision that broke her family three years ago, she's torn: follow her heart, and lose her family, or follow her family and lose the only person whose ever really loved her.

Summer Girl


Sophie Hill - 2013
    Every summer the tiny beachside town of Hidden Cove, North Carolina is flooded with wealthy tourists, with their money and their arrogance and their promise of casual flings. And to Slade, bouncer, brawler, heartbreaker, they’re the perfect way to drown his pain and quiet the demons roaring in his head. But Heather Tremaine is different. Quietly beautiful, deeply hurt, she’s a mystery that Slade finds himself desperately needing to solve. When he realizes that she’s on a quest for the truth about her past, a quest that will take her into dangerous territory, he’s determined to protect her at all costs. But Heather not the only one with secrets…and the last time Slade tried to protect someone he loved, it cost him everything. Will he fight for his love, or will his Summer Girl fade like the seasons? By the end of the summer, Heather will find out that the truth is more shocking than anything she’d ever anticipated…and she’ll make a choice that will change all of their lives forever.

Salvation


Anne Osterlund - 2013
    His Mexican immigrant family has high expectations, and Salva intends to fulfill them. He's student body president, quarterback of the football team, and has a near-perfect GPA. Everyone loves him.Especially Beth Courant, AKA the walking disaster area. Dreamy and shy, Beth is used to blending into the background. But she's also smart, and she has serious plans for her future.Popular guy and bookish girl--the two have almost nothing in common. Until fate throws them together and the attraction is irresistible. Soon Beth is pushing Salva to set his sights higher than ever--because she knows he has more to offer, more than even he realizes.Then tragedy strikes--and threatens to destroy everything that Salva has worked for. Will Beth's love be enough to save him?Thoughtful and romantic, this is a beautifully written story about following your heart and fulfilling your potential.

Matchplay


Dakota Madison - 2013
    So when her father drops her off at college to start her freshman year, his words of advice to his bookish daughter are to start acting like a young person and finally have some fun. The Guy: College senior, Aaron Donovan, aka Mr. Hot-and-Knows-It, is President of The Clubhouse, a social club for the college's most wealthy and popular guys. Aaron can have any girl on campus except the one who challenges and excites him the most--Rainy Dey. The Tournament: Every year, the senior members of The Clubhouse engage in a golf-inspired tournament to see who can sleep with the most freshman girls. When Rainy finds out about The Tournament, she believes Aaron's only interest in her is to score points by taking her V-Card. The Challenge: Can Aaron convince Rainy that his feelings for her are true and that she won't be just another notch on his tournament scorecard? This new adult romance contains language and content indented for adult readers (18+).

Park and Violet


Marian Tee - 2013
    Once, she loved being the Queen of Flirts, loved playing hard-to-get and, eventually, getting caught. Now, she can’t get enough distance between her and all the boys in the world. Well,all the boys except for Park Jin. Park is like no guy she’s ever met. He’s a 20-year-old Nordic god with a strange accent, or at least that’s one of Violet’s better descriptions of him. Most times, when they’re, literally, fighting like cats and dogs, she prefers to think of him as the blond gorilla, he’s a foul-mouthed jerk who calls her a banshee, a midget, and every other ugly nickname that comes to his nasty mind, goes out of his way to be rude to Violet, and, best of all, he hates girls. Both Park and Violet carry scars in their hearts, scars that they’re desperate to hide. In each other, they find the unlikeliest allies, a way to keep themselves apart from everyone else and, more importantly, from ever falling in love again. Yet when they’re not on each other’s throats Park and Violet can’t help succumbing to the intense chemistry between them. As kisses outnumber hisses, there’s a question that’s getting harder and harder for the two to ignore. Is it time to risk their hearts again?