Book picks similar to
WHY NOT GOODBYE? by Arika Maxwell
contemporary
second-chance
abuse
romance
The Space Between Us
Anie Michaels
Asher Carmichael steps into her life, provides a steadfast friendship that offers her protection to grow into a beautiful, young woman. As years pass, their friendship evolves into a passionate first love neither one of them can deny. Together they explore a new relationship filled with all the butterflies and heartache expected as two young adults navigate sex, love, and trust.One fateful night, a painful mistake leads to cataclysmic results, setting the lovers on separate paths. Charlie is too hurt to forgive and Asher has never been so lost without his Charlie. Years pass. Hearts remain broken. Neither one can forget their first love or overcome the space between them.Contains sexually explicit language and other mature content. Readers should be 18 or older.
Our Finest Hour
Jennifer Millikin - 2017
Sometimes they need music. Other times, only a night with a stranger will soothe the pain. On the night Isaac and I met, we tried all three. When it was over, we went our separate ways. We planned to never see each other again, but I should really know by now that plans don’t work out the way they're supposed to. It has been four years since that night, and it’s a bizarre twist of fate that lands me in need of help only Isaac can give. I don’t want to be attracted to him, but I am. I don’t want my heart to skip a beat when it sees him, but it does. And I really don’t want him to look at me that way, but he won’t stop. Because things aren't like they were four years ago. And this time? We don’t have the option of parting ways when the sun comes up.
More Than Anything
Natasha Anders - 2019
It’s the perfect night, but when she overhears crude, hurtful comments the next morning, she can’t get away fast enough.Ten years later, Tina’s life is a mess. That night with Harris didn’t just hurt her feelings; it started a cascade of disappointment and heartbreak. Every time she bumps into Harris, her heart twists inside out. She still wants him, but she’s harboring a painful secret from their night together that she’s not ready to reveal.Crossed signals, high-society whispers, and shame have kept Tina and Harris apart for years, but deep down, they’re hungry for each other and eager to write their own rules. Can they let go of the past and find their way back to each other, or are the barriers between them too high and too strong?
Complicate Me
M. Robinson - 2015
That one moment where you could have chosen a path that would lead you down a certain road. A different life. It was easier to pretend that we were still best friends, and that she was my girl and I was her boy. Pretending was better than knowing the truth...I. Ruined. Us.I had her. I lost her. I love her.All I did was complicate us.STANDALONE series. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Strong language and sexual content, not intended for readers under 18.
Come with Me
Katy Kaylee - 2019
I should be the happiest woman alive.
Wasn’t this how I wanted it to be? How it was supposed to be?
The problem?
Well, let’s say that he’s been so completely honest and open with me and I?I’ve acted like the biggest jerk, keeping the biggest secret of my life.A secret that would probably rock his world, hopefully for the better.
But would he be able to forgive me and take a chance with me once again?
Or would this ruin my so perfect happily ever after?
Accidentally on Purpose
L.D. Davis - 2012
She does the unthinkable after a night of drinking and sleeps with him.She tries to put the enormous mistake behind her, but Kyle mercilessly pursues Emmy despite her new relationship with Luke Kessler and Kyle's long-standing girlfriend Jessyca.When Emmy's resistance begins to crack, she makes a series of bad decisions that result in heartbreaking, life-altering, and even devastating consequences.
Feels like Summertime
Tammy Falkner - 2016
We spent one summer together at Lake Fisher when we were sixteen and then I never saw her again. My life is shit, my job is gone, and my dad had a stroke, so I find myself back at Lake Fisher once again. And so does Katie. Her last name isn't Higgins anymore, because Katie is married with three kids and one more on the way, but when she shows up at Lake Fisher with her kids, danger trails her all the way there. I could do a lot of things. I could leave and go home. I could stay and deal with it. But what I want most of all is just to take care of Katie. If I concentrate on her, maybe I won't have to face my own problems. Yeah, that's it. Fix Katie. Katie: I haven't seen Jake in eighteen years, but the moment I lay eyes on him, I feel safer than I have in a very long time. Memories swamp me every time I look out over the clear, cool water. A first kiss. A first boyfriend. A first love. That old spark is still there. I just can't act on it, and neither can Jake. Our story started eighteen years ago, and then we both made lives with other people. Jake is willing to tell me about his, but I can't share mine with him. Ever. We can be friends and spend another summer together, right? Sure, we can.
Thin Love
Eden Butler - 2014
It isn't supposed to leave you bleeding. Kona pushed, Keira pulled, and in their wake, they left behind destruction. She sacrificed everything for him. It wasn't enough. But the wounds of the past can never be completely forgotten and still the flame remains, slumbers between the pleasure of yesterday and the thought of what might have been. Now, sixteen years later, Keira returns home to bury the mother who betrayed her, just as Kona tries to hold onto what remains of his NFL career with the New Orleans Steamers. Across the crowded bustle of a busy French Market, their paths collide, conjuring forgotten memories of a consuming touch, skin on skin, and the still smoldering fire that begs to be rekindled. When Kona realizes the trifecta of betrayal—his, Keira's and those lies told to keep them apart—his life is irrevocably changed and he once again takes Keira down with him into the fire that threatens to ignite them both.
Forsaking Gray
K.L. Kreig - 2015
Deception. Betrayal.Within less than twenty-four hours of proposing to the love of Gray's life, Liva disappeared. No note. No trace. No explanation. Nothing. Now, five years later, she’s resurfaced and Gray will stop at nothing to make Livia his again. But is love enough to forgive an unforgivable wrong?Livia had less than sixty seconds to make a decision that would change her life forever. She sacrificed. She suffered. She survived. Now that she's back, she's determined that no one ever discover her shameful secret - especially the only man she's ever loved. But will hiding the past destroy her future?
And Then Forever
Shirley Jump - 2015
She prefers the simple life, which includes waitressing at The Love Shack on Fortune’s Island and avoiding temptation. But when a forbidden part of her past steps off the ferry, her safe, guarded existence is turned upside down.Kincaid Foster has never gotten over his first love. When he sees the wild, beautiful blonde again, dancing her way around The Love Shack, the memories of Darcy’s soft skin, gentle touch, and heated kisses come rushing back. As the privileged son of a wealthy family, Kincaid was too young to stand up to his overbearing father when he and Darcy were together. Now, he’s back on the island—free of the family shackles—and the chiseled, big-time lawyer wants a second chance.But, Darcy made a promise to keep a secret from Kincaid—a secret that is now a six-year-old girl who looks just like her daddy. If Kincaid finds out about their daughter, Darcy could lose everything. But, she can’t resist the man who stole her heart all those years ago. And it doesn’t take long before both of them realize that anything can happen at The Love Shack on a hot summer night.
Pieces of Us
G - 2011
Devastated and trying to put the past behind her, Charlotte sought a new life in a new town. Now, five years later, her fiancé has convinced her it's time to return home and face her past. But will the truth she learns and the people she reconnects with destroy her carefully crafted happiness? Hannah Downing has created an emotional roller coaster about lost love and the way one indiscretion can change the course of your life. Charlotte questions every decision she's ever made, but she may discover that when you lose everything, you can truly find yourself.
Deceitful Choices
C.A. Harms - 2016
The damage is too deep. The effects are too strong, and the path they lead you on can be devastating. One lie only led to another as Lindsay tried to be someone she wasn’t. She wanted just one moment to pretend she didn’t live the life she had been cursed with. She wanted to live without regret. Live for the moment. She wanted to laugh and smile without feeling as if at any moment something or someone would corrupt that happiness.But all lies have a way of resurfacing. Those deceitful words can come back to haunt you, leaving you as the one heartbroken and alone. Zack had taken a trip with a fellow Navy SEAL. Just a weekend away to regroup.Never had he intended to find the girl who would jumpstart his heart. Only then to destroy it. But the shattered pieces of his trust weren’t the only things he left behind when he walked away from Lindsay.There was now an innocent life that had been thrown in to the mix. But Lindsay wasn’t the only one who lied... The odds were stacked against them.There was someone doing everything they could to keep them apart. But when the truth is told,and those secrets are revealed,they must decide if they have what it takes…
To survive the deceit.
Scattered Pieces
Allie Able - 2016
Finally able to live her dream of owning a bakery, Summer begins the task of rebuilding her life, making sure there is no room for romance or relationships, because in her experience they only lead to trouble. However, when Grant Hamilton, who has served as a Marine for the last ten years, crosses her path, the chance encounter has them both rethinking their futures, as there is no denying the magnetic pull they feel towards each other. When Summer’s past returns to haunt her, will Grant help Summer pick up the scattered pieces of her life, or will they all fall apart? **This book can be read as a standalone.
Surge
Sloan Storm - 2015
The bad boy of Formula One Racing. The first time I met him he was completely naked, and he couldn’t have cared less. The ultimate playboy, there isn’t a hairpin turn he can’t handle or a woman he can’t have. Dyson lives life like he drives – hard, determined, and like it might be his last day. The second time I saw Dyson, he just stood there, staring at me. His fire suit hung low on his waist, and his body was dripping in sweat, grease and… well, you get the idea. We couldn’t have been more different. After a family tragedy, I’ve been left to raise my nephew, Simon, all alone. Raising him has given me more joy than I could’ve imagined, but it came at a price. He is my entire world, and everything I do is with him in mind. I haven’t had a date in months, instead focusing solely on him. Man troubles are the last thing we need, especially the kind reckless thrill seeker Dyson Vix would bring. But fate has other ideas. I’ve been thrust into his fast-paced world, and the more time I spend with him -- the more I see of the troubled man behind the roguish charm -- the more my resolve crumbles. Our chemistry is undeniable but isn’t without risk. Jealousy and threats to my home life mean I could lose everything I’ve worked so hard to protect. The stakes have never been higher. Will we make it, or are we destined to crash and burn? The Fastlane Series books are stand alone romance novels featuring unique lovers and happy endings. No cliffhangers! Surge is Dyson and Ava's story and is Book #1 in the Fastlane Series.
Him
Carey Heywood - 2013
She thought she could stay away forever. If it wasn’t for her big brother's wedding, that is. Part of her even feels silly for staying away this long. It's not like anyone even knew what happened. Well, except for him.That guy. The one she compared all others to. The one who set the bar so high no other guy after him could even compete. The one who made her feel like anything was possible. The one she thought she would never be good enough for. The one she spent the last seven years trying to forget.All she needs to do is make it through the next week without running into him.