Book picks similar to
No Apologies by Sybil Bartel


new-adult
romance
contemporary
contemporary-romance

Falling Stars


Sadie Grubor - 2012
    He's hot, he's famous and everything a rock star can be. When he meets fellow lead singer, Mia Ryder, she's energetic, fun, and laid-back. Mia is everything Chris isn't and he isn't going to stand by while her vagina powered band ride the coattails of his fan base.But Chris's demons have grown so powerful he's about to lose everything, including his sanity. Until one night changes everything.Now, the one thing he's been trying to eliminate is the ONLY thing he's been sure of and she hates him.

Trust Me


Melanie Walker - 2013
    Pain, Anger, Terror…she also knew Trust. Of all the things her father taught her and her brother, it was her brother Noah who taught her to trust.At fourteen and awakened in the middle of the night by her eighteen year old brother Noah, they run and escape a fate that is worse than death. Years of abuse so severe has left them both strong, wounded and careful. They know to trust one another above all things and promise then and there they will never look back.The summer before her final year at UW Carrie agrees to a date with her long time crush who happens to be her brother Noah’s best friend Chad Blake. The tattooed and sexy as sin front-man for rock band Thick as Thieves and the crowned King of Gig Harbor’s bad boys, Chad is a known for a good time, great music, killer tats and a sweet goodbye the morning after as long as the girl knows the score. Everything he is, is everything Noah wants her safe from. Chad has wanted his best friends sister since she was eighteen but stayed away after Noah warned him that Carrie was off limits. Having been burned in the past, Chad focused on his day job as a tattoo artist and his dream of making it big with his band Thick as Thieves; keeping his bed warm until he had the chance to get Carrie Beckett there and never let her leave. Noah sheltered Carrie as best he could, keeping her as far from his personal life and Chad Blake as he could. He wanted nothing but happiness and freedom for the sister he watched suffer day in and day out.But Carrie is innocent and smart, strong willed with a sassy mouth, all the things Chad loves about her and refuses to deny himself of anymore.Risking it all on a whim, he shows up and asks Carrie to go “All In” and betray her brother for a chance to be together.Carrie is brought into the world of parties, concerts, fangirls and sex - that forces her to face the memories of her past in order to move on with Chad as her future.Knowing that love is a reward, trust, a gift, Carrie and Chad fall with a passion so strong, it threatens to break them both. They will battle back all the bad things in life for just a second of good and all the insecurities will come to an explosive head that may just destroy them both.

More Than Words


Karla Doyle - 2012
    Hanging out with a resentful Chihuahua every night hasn’t filled the void, and all the sex toys from the store she owns could never replace a flesh-and-blood man. An online Scrabble-type site promising anonymous, flirty fun sounds right up her alley. A like-minded geek, that’s what she needs. Unbeknownst to her, the man on the other end of the game is anything but geeky.Travis is tired of the party scene and women chasing after his bad-boy musician persona. He wants somebody who is drawn to his mind, not his profession, and he might have found her—on the opposite side of an internet game board. After heating up the tiles with Calli online, he’s determined to meet her in person. Touch her in person. And when he does, their chemistry is undeniable. But when he discovers her tragic past he realizes it will take more than words to win her heart…and her trust.

Fast Lane


Kristen Ashley - 2019
    Forming in a garage in a small town in Indiana. Taking their licks on the road. Going balls to the wall until they made their big break.And then Preacher McCade and the Roadmasters redefined rock and roll.Guided by their tortured lead singer and songwriter, the Roadmasters changed the face of music in the 80s and 90s. And on their journey to becoming one of the most enduring bands in history—dogged by rumors and myth and fueled by drugs and booze—the Roadmasters had one touchstone.Lyla.Preacher’s muse, the love of his life, and the band’s moral compass, from the beginning, Lyla is along for the ride. But with fame and acclaim in their grasp, they’ve entered the fast lane.And they didn’t know it, but they were headed for a crash.

Friction


L.D. Davis - 2014
    Alden is used to getting what he wants, especially women, but Noa can't stand the cocky, pelvic thrusting rock star. Some things should remain in the dark, but by grudgingly spending time with one of the biggest superstars in the world, every dark corner of Noa's life will be illuminated under the spotlight. Will she be able to survive it? Will Alden be able to survive the consequences of Noa's past? Will Noa be able to survive the sexy, brash, and talented Alden Breck?

Rock Country


K. Webster - 2014
    For two years they spent every waking moment together. And just as they started realizing they had potential to be more, Bobby was unexpectedly uprooted to Las Vegas. Fast forward fifteen years.Bobby is now a guitar hero of a very successful rock band. June is wasting away, working at a local diner, and married to an abusive man. Devastating events send Bobby back to Texas to deal with some unsettled issues. When he runs into June, she’s all grown up. No longer that blonde haired, pig-tailed little girl—now she’s the Queen of the South with tanned legs, sexy curves, and more beauty than all the groupies combined. Problem is, June is a shell of her former self—that is, until—Bobby brings the spark back into her life.What happens when a typical bad boy rocker comes across a sad country song? Why, you get the sweet sound of Rock Country.

Blind Attraction


Eden Summers - 2013
    He’ll stop at nothing to get to know her. When a public altercation leaves her weak and defenseless, he takes the opportunity to be her savior. She’s been sheltered from the world. Alana Shelton wants to spread her wings and experience life away from her restrictive upbringing. But she isn’t prepared for a gorgeous stranger to sweep her off her feet while at her most vulnerable. Attraction will bring them together, but their pasts will try to tear them apart. He wants to teach her how to trust, but she’ll show him how to love. In a glamorous world of rock-and-roll, only time will tell if they’re up for the challenge.

Lifeless


J.M. LaRocca - 2013
    Feeling used and heartbroken, she decides it’s time to take her best friend Jules’ advice to move to Atlanta and live with her. There, Jules helps her get a job at Entertainment Atlanta, where she works as an entertainment insurance agent. It’s not Scarlett’s dream job, but it’s better than not having a job at all, and who would mind working with famous people, right?Then she gets assigned to EA’s newest client, Kade Evans, rock star turned actor. Not only is he a drug addict, he’s also known for never dating the same girl twice. He’s tall, dark, and handsome, has an amazing voice, and good acting skills, but he’s also arrogant and intense.At their first meeting, the chemistry between them is undeniable. The love that comes later is unexpected.But Kade’s life is full of secrets. His past has now intruded on his present and when Scarlett finds out what his secrets are, the real deception begins.Part 1 of 2

Real Ugly


C.M. Stunich - 2013
    Turner Campbell is an asshole.I f*cking hate him.But I can't get enough either.He sings like an angel and f*cks like a devil.If I could, I'd run away and never look back because to tell you the truth, I think this man might be the death of me.***Naomi Knox is a bitch.I can't f*cking stand her.But I can't stop thinking about her either.She looks like an angel and plays like a devil.If I could, I'd f*ck her good and forget all about her, but to tell you the truth, I think this woman might be my last saving grace.

Rocked


Taryn Elliott - 2012
    Mostly. Frustrated at being shoved out of his mediator role by their new manager, Deacon McCoy loses himself in brutal workouts. He only comes up for air long enough to refuel-and to tease the deliciously cute chef who makes him crave a lot more than what she's offering on her serving plate. As the child of roadie parents, Harper Pruitt has heard every pickup line twice. To her, musicians are one step above the scraps on her cutting board. All she wants is to get enough experience to run her own catering company, but Deacon and his bottomless stomach are too tempting to resist. He's far from the typical rock star and before long, she finds herself experimenting with him, inside and out of the kitchen. Apron - and panties - optional. When Harper sees that Deacon's dream band with his best friends may be turning into a nightmare, she can't walk away. Deacon's so much more than just a peacemaker and the man behind the bass. But she has her own dreams to chase...even if she's starting to think what she's building with him might be the biggest one of all.

Collaboration


Michelle Lynn - 2014
    For one, the “rock star” is a rapper. And not just any rapper. Trace is the hottest ticket in the music industry right now, regardless of which definition of ‘hot’ you choose.Taryn Starr is not the girl-next-door who unknowingly meets a celebrity. Known as “America’s Sweetheart,” the reigning country music princess and world-renowned superstar knows exactly who Trace is…or does she?Their worlds collide when the musicians whose paths were never destined to cross are forced by their joint record label to collaborate on a song. The sparks fly and ignite a fire that blazes hotter with every minute they spend together—for better or worse. One thing’s for certain, the two media magnets can’t deny their explosive chemistry, but will life in the spotlight ultimately bring Trace and Taryn together or force them apart?***This contemporary romance new adult novel is for mature audiences. The language alone would make a sailor blush (the guy’s a rapper, remember?) so 18+ only, please.

My Misery Muse


Brei Betzold - 2012
    Devi Porter, an up-and-coming tattoo artist in Dallas, is trying to live her life as best as possible, but never able to forget the love she had with Seth. Seth, a bassist for the popular band My Misery Muse, is struggling with his fellow band members with the lifestyle that he now lives. The band decides to go home to Dallas to work on their latest album as well as to work out their problems out from under the glare of the media. Seth and Devi meet up again and both realize they have a lot to work out between themselves as well. As they get reacquainted, life and obstacles are thrown at them at every turn. Are they able to overcome them to become the family neither really had?

Jordan Reclaimed


Scarlett Cole - 2017
    When he was taken from his parents and a house that was never a home. When he met his brothers, the other lost and abandoned boys in his group home. When he learned what friendship and family and love looked like.Now he’s made a career out of playing the music he loves, touring the world with the band he and his brothers formed in that crowded group home. No one but his found family really knows the man under the fame and fortune, the scars he hides behind the rockstar lifestyle. Until he sees her through the windows of the National Ballet, dancing, and suddenly the world doesn’t seem so dark.Aleksandra Artemov ticks all the ballet boxes. Father a legendary Kirov dancer. Check. Prepping since birth for classical ballet. Check. Compulsive control over the food she eats. Check. Principal dancer at The National Ballet of Canada. Check. But what she craves is freedom.She craves Jordan.Everything about him should terrify her. His size, his tattoos, his hard rock edge. But he doesn’t. He stirs her very soul. Jordan has nothing but himself to offer her, and he's never been good enough for anyone. Can he figure out how to face his own demons before he loses his light for good?

Blindsided


Sayer Adams - 2011
    But first he has to convince himself and find out why she's running herself into the ground by running around the world.Chelsea Spencer is a travel writer who has spent the last six years traveling at a punishing pace that leaves little time for food or sleep. When her body shuts down in the Australian Outback, her doctors give her strict orders to stay put for two months. Chelsea complies by staying in Seattle with her brother, but for Chelsea, stopping is more hazardous than running. Old anxiety and panic fueled by feelings of helplessness flood Chelsea when her mind isn't otherwise occupied and the months seem like torture. All she wants is to get back on the road without any further complications; like a broken heart.

Torn from You


Nashoda Rose - 2013
    It hits hard, fast and without mercy. At least it did for me when Sculpt, the lead singer of the rock band Tear Asunder knocked me off my feet. Literally, because he’s also a fighter, illegally of course, and he taught me how to fight. He also taught me how to love and I fell hard for him. I mean the guy could do sweet, when he wasn't doing bossy, and I like sweet. Then it all shattered.Kidnapped. Starved. Beaten. I was alone and fighting to survive.When I heard Sculpt's voice, I thought he was there to save me.I was wrong.(It is highly recommended to read "With You" the novella first).*Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Over 18 years.This is a love story with some dark elements. Dark contemporary romance. No cliffhanger and next in the Tear Asunder series is Ream's story (the band's lead guitarist).