Book picks similar to
It Was Always You by S.L. Sterling


romance
suspense
contemporary-romance
abuse

One Last Fight


Ava Ashley - 2016
    That's all it took to destroy my world.And my world? It had a name. Rafe Maddox.Once upon a time, Rafe and I were inseparable. He was my light in the darkness. My everything. He was there for me when I needed him most.I wish I could say I returned the favor, but I didn't. I abandoned him. Even let him go to prison trying to protect me.That was six years ago.Since then I've tried to forget him. To move on. I almost succeeded.But now he's back in my life, and I have one last chance to fight for him. For us.But the thing about fights worth winning? They're not easy. Sometimes you have to fight dirty. He taught me that. Well, he's about to learn no one fights as dirty as me.

Starting Over


Evan Grace - 2014
    And if it weren’t for her brother’s imminent deployment, she wouldn’t even have considered coming back home. But she did. And now she needs to do everything she can to avoid the reason she left in the first place. Luke Carter. The man who turned his back on her when she needed him most. There’s just one problem…Luke seems to have other plans. He’s determined to set things right, making it impossible for Bellamy to ignore the connection they still share after all these years. But Bellamy has a secret. And it’s the kind of secret that has the potential to destroy every last bit of hope she has for a second chance at happiness. The question is, will the truth bring them closer together…or will it tear them apart for good?

Close


Fen Wilde - 2017
    Oozing confidence and sex appeal, he leaves women scattered in his wake. Clara is determined to resist him.But one gut-melting kiss and her resolve falters. And soon she's falling for him, despite her reservations. But she's not the only one keeping secrets. And secrets are hard to keep when you get close to someone...A gripping, sizzling stand-alone full of twists and turns that will keep you hooked til the last page.*NB this book explores complex themes around mental health. It is written by a mental health clinician and has been described as “beautifully nuanced” with “the observation of the human psyche…written flawlessly in this dark yet twisted romance.”

The Forbidden Groom


Sarah Gay - 2018
    In fact, it's forbidden by his PR firm and agent until a new contract can be negotiated with the Texas Titans. His resolve is tested when he lays eyes on Maggie, the spunky caterer. Ever since she caught him from falling, he can't seem to stop himself from falling for her. Maggie, a Park City Firefighter, needs a change of scenery. When an offer comes in to possibly take over a successful event planning business in sunny Dallas, Texas, she jumps at it. After a group of NFL players crash her first event, Maggie's amazing opportunity fizzles. Cole, the handsome football player has ruined her employment prospects and wounded her pride. She may find the true love she has always dreamed of if she can forgive him. Additional books in the Texas Titan Series: The Ghost Groom by Jennifer Youngblood The Fearless Groom by Cami Checketts The Tough Groom by Taylor Hart The Dream Groom by Taylor Hart The Persistent Groom by Jennifer Youngblood The Trustworthy Groom by Cami Checketts The Second Chance Groom by Taylor Hart The Miracle Groom by Lucy McConnell

Tristan


Liz Gavin - 2018
    Fall in love with these rock stars.They never thought they’d get a second chance at first love. They were wrong.Ten years ago, pop idol Izzie Anderson betrayed Tristan. Childhood friend, boyfriend and lyricist, he was the best thing that ever happened to her. He gave her haven amid a wild lifestyle she didn’t have the tools to resist. Still, her lies destroyed him. Yet she lied to protect him. Now she needs Tristan to save her son.Tristan Knight shifted careers and mended his life in a secluded beach in Brazil. The only place Izzie’s stardom didn’t haunt him. Opening a new restaurant kept his mind from the headlines detailing her descent into the dark side of fame. Now she waltzes back into his life willing to make amends. Too bad for her, she left him heartless.Can two damaged souls get a second chance? Or are there wrongs that can never be righted?Fans of Kylie Scott, Jaine Diamond, and Piper Lawson will devour the steamy rock star romances in the Knight's Edge series. No cheating or cliffhangers.One-click this book today and follow Izzie and Tristan’s journey to healing and second chances. Warning: Their road to happily-ever-after is paved with angst and steamy love scenes.

On His Watch


Katie Ruggle - 2016
    But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...Ice rescue diver Derek Warner never meant to be a hero. But when two little girls go missing, he's the first in line to bring them home-even if that means scouring the wilderness with the woman he once loved and lost, Artemis Rey.Artemis has never stopped wanting Derek. Now, racing to find the girls before it's too late, minutes turn to hours. Night falls. Old flames rekindle. And a danger grows in the darkest wilderness that may be more than even the Search and Rescue brotherhood can hope to face...

The Journey Home


Kelly Elliott - 2014
    Maddison Powers has been regretting the biggest mistake of her life when she walked away from the only man who has ever sparked something deep inside her. After comparing every guy she dates to Cale Blackwood, she finally gives up all hope of ever finding him. One dare by Maddison throws Cale back into her life...and into the arms of her best friend. Cale Blackwood thought he had found the woman of his dreams, until she walked away from him one night and didn't look back. Attempting to find love again, Cale finds himself in a relationship built on one lie after another. Forced to take on the biggest challenge of his life, Cale must seek help from the woman who walked away from him and broke his heart. Sometimes it takes more than one journey in life to truly be home.

Under the Lights


Tia Louise - 2018
    From USA TODAY bestselling author Tia Louise comes a sexy new tale of love, loss, and survival in sultry New Orleans...UNDER THE LIGHTS Heroes don't last long around here... Fall in love with the sexiest girl in New Orleans? Check. Prepare to die for her? Double-check. Larissa is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.She's the rising star of the Pussycat Angels, the hottest burlesque show in the French Quarter.I'll never forget the first time I saw her.The curve of her breast outlined by sparkling rhinestones.Slim hips wrapped in black fishnets.Long, dark hair...She's the Dark Angel who stole my heart.Her body is intoxicating, our love overwhelming.Cat eyes and blood red lips.Sizzling fingers on white-hot skin.I couldn't keep my hands off her...But her fame had a dark side,A sinister shadow lurking under the lights. I would do anything to save her...He would do anything to see me dead.(A CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC SUSPENSE series.)

Knotted


Pam Godwin - 2018
    It’s impossible. Growing up together, Conor and I shared all our firsts. First love, first kiss, first… Not all our firsts. We were sixteen the night she was violently assaulted while I helplessly watched. I’ll never forget the sounds of her suffering. Or my inconsolable agony when she left Oklahoma. Years later, she returns to honor our teenage pact. Except the boy she loved is gone, replaced by a ruthless cattle rancher knotted with secrets. She doesn’t know my dark cravings or the trails of sin that lead to her. I don’t deserve her, but one truth remains. She’s mine. TRAILS OF SIN series (HEAs with no cliffhangers - must be read in order): Knotted #1 Buckled #2 Booted #3

Taco-Truck Tryst


Kirsten Osbourne - 2018
    As soon as she starts the new position, she hears that the only man she has ever loved has moved back to town and is now running a business out of a taco truck. She’s worried she won’t be able to keep her heart intact with her high school sweetheart so close. Ciran Benedict once thought that being a big-city lawyer was the only thing that mattered in life. He worked hard toward his goal, and once he’d accomplished it, he realized he wanted more from life. He has recently returned to his home-town to operate a taco truck and provide the good people of Idaho superior tacos. Deep inside, he hopes that he can rekindle his romance with Roxane Quinn, the girl who got away. Will he be able to convince her they are meant to be together? Or will he have to be content to love her from afar?

Pulled


Amy Lichtenhan - 2011
    In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side. Now, when their lives intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago. But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and do they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart? Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have.

Kissing & Telling


Jenna Reed - 2019
    Rule #2: Don’t have sex with your best friend. Rule #3: Don’t pretend like it didn’t happen the next day. Bailey Renshaw is my best friend. Kind. Sweet as a peach, and so beautiful it should be a crime. Since we were kids I’ve wanted her, and one time when we were nothing more than teenagers I kissed her. It was the first mistake I ever made in our friendship. Giving her my heart and hoping she felt the same were my second and third. That night she broke me, ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it. Anyone else would’ve hated her for it, but it only made me value her more, and realize that I would do anything I could to keep her in my life even if it was only as a friend and nothing more. As a permanent resident of the friend zone, I promised myself that I would never cross that line again no matter how badly I wanted to, and I wanted to, badly. Every time she smiled at me, licked her pink lips, or flashed her doe eyes my way I came a little closer to breaking the rules again… but I didn’t. I couldn’t do that to us. Until one night when we decided to break the rules together. One Earth shattering night together and I knew nothing would ever be the same. Friends, or lovers? I don’t know what we are anymore. The rules no longer apply to us. Now the only question is, can we fix what we had before it’s too late or is our friendship over for good? And all because of one single kiss? **Complete standalone with a happily ever after. Don't miss out on all the gooey goodness this book has to offer.**

Commanding Sia


Zoe Dawson - 2020
    . .reunited by duty… When Lieutenant Ambrosia “Sia” Soto returns from an investigation into a “pilot error” case aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. James McCloud, she comes face to face with NCIS Special Agent and former lover, Christophe Vargas, the man who was involved in an F-18 Fighter Jet accident that took her brother’s life six years ago. But when another incident aboard the carrier involves the death of a senator’s son whose plane crashed into the deck on a routine training mission, she’s now required to return to the carrier with Chris in tow to face a cunning and dangerous foe. Bombarded both personally and professionally, Sia must trust her instincts and suppress the feelings that surface for her enigmatic and sexy partner.

Code Name: Genesis


Sawyer Bennett - 2019
    She was an up-and-coming superstar and I was the security professional hired to keep her safe. We fell hard and fast, no matter how much we tried to resist one another. But not everyone around us was happy about our relationship, and a string of lies and deceit destroyed what we once had. I moved on from her and didn’t look back.Now I’ve taken the helm of a nationally renowned protective services company, and I’m looking to rebrand my career. The newly crowned Jameson Force Security is moving from the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas to the mountainous steel town of Pittsburgh, and the last thing I have time for is to deal with my past.More than a decade has passed since our split, but even a bruised and battered heart remembers its first love. So when Joslyn Meyers comes to me for help, I reluctantly agree to keep her safe from a terrifying stalker who keeps threatening her life.As the danger continues to intensify, it becomes clear that I’ll stop at nothing to protect the woman who turned her back on me all those years ago. Because one thing is certain—no matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise, Joslyn still has my heart.

5 Years Later


Jaxson Kidman - 2017
    and there's a knock at the door. He's back, again. And this time he's not alone. * Full length standalone romance with guaranteed HEA and no cheating *