Book picks similar to
I Take It Back by Liza James
new-adult
college
romance
sports
Beautiful Oblivion
Addison Moore - 2013
She’s tired of dating Warren McCarthy just to make her father happy. Reese has long since had her eye on someone else, and this summer she’s determined to make it happen.Growing up in Lake Loveless there has always been a strict monetary divide—there was the rest of the Lake and then there were the Waterman’s. Ace Waterman has worked for everything he has, and he doesn’t have a lot. He breaks his back doing grunt work while putting himself through college. He’s used to life passing him by.Reese has loved Ace from afar for as long as she can remember. The summer of her freshman year she comes home with plans to land Ace in her bed at least for a few short weeks, and, if she’s lucky, forever.Ace has loved Reese for as long as he can remember, but their friendship has never graduated beyond platonic, so when Reese comes home from her first year away and proposes the two of them have a summer fling, Ace is quick to comply. The rules: no strings, no expectations, just something hotter than the sun to set the sheets on fire.But when their worlds collide, and neither of them is willing to admit to having true feelings, it becomes clear to Ace he’s nothing more than a dirty little secret—that the summer fling was just something meaningless to pass the time.Reese wonders if she can ever stop trying to please her father, and it’s only through her mother’s letters that she finds the answers she truly seeks, but will they be the ones she wants to hear?As summer draws to a close, Ace and Reese are still very much enraptured even though the time has come to douse the flame and move on—but neither one of them is prepared to leave this BEAUTIFUL OBLIVION.
Flip Trick
Amo Jones - 2018
I had a one-night stand. Then in true me fashion, I left my phone at his house during my desperate venture to escape. I tried hard to ignore the texts sent to my best friend’s phone... Amethyst: Sup, these selfies are cute as shit, but your lips looked better wrapped around my… I did NOT text him back. I DID vow to never speak of him, or that night again... I’m Amethyst Lily Tatum, and up until this point, I’d managed to maintain a fairly low-key life. I’m what you would call a socially unacceptable hot mess. Instead of partying, I’m skating, flipping ollie’s over guys who loved to underestimate me. Then I started college, met a wild girl who I would soon call my best-friend, had my first drunk one-night stand, left my phone at his house, and then, when I finally managed to meet my mom’s new boyfriend, I found out that my one-night stand, was now my new stepbrother. *this is a standalone novel*
Shame
Fiona Cole - 2017
Pretty. Sweet. Kind. Submissive. Until I met her, I was alone with the dark desires that I didn't understand, that I couldn't reconcile. She became my best friend, and then she became so much more.Desire. Disgust. Shame. Dominance. I wouldn’t have survived until college without her. When we were together, I was at peace for the first time in my life. But it was too good to last. Our appetite for pain and pleasure destroyed us. And all the drinks in the world weren’t enough to get used to missing her. On the verge of earning my degree, Ana walks back into my life, those gray-blue eyes still able to see right through me. It’s the chance I’ve been waiting for. One last chance to overcome my shame. If only it were that easy.
The Fall of Troy
Rebecca Sharp - 2019
Rebecca Sharp comes an enemies-to-lovers epic romance with a forbidden twist...Love is angry. Love is blind. Love is envious and loathful.And I loathed Léo Baudin. My new art professor. My enemy.I didn't move to Rhode Island for this. I came to forget the Troian Milanovic I'd left behind and start fresh where the damage and betrayal couldn't follow.But Professor Baudin wouldn't let me.Cold. Caustic. Captivating. He didn't just push my buttons... He lit them all up with the indifferent smirk of an aristocratic French asshole. But how much I loathed him only made my need for him stronger. To have him would be either victory or loss. There would be no compromise.To have him would be war.So I fought back. But I was Troy, and he was the wooden horse, full of dangerous secrets I never saw coming. I was the one who invited him inside my walls, celebrating without seeing through his disguise. And under the cover of darkness, he laid siege to my body, my mind, and finally, my heart. The first may be a myth, but this time the history books would show that if Troy fell, it was with her all.The Fall of Troy is the first book in the Odyssey Duet.
Only for You
Genna Rulon - 2013
It also feels an awful lot like a kick to the stomach when you try to fight it!” All Everleigh Carsen wanted to do was complete her final semester at Hensley University and begin the life she carefully planned. When a wave of violent crime seizes campus, Everleigh is persuaded to attend a school sponsored self-defense seminar by her best friend, where she meets volunteer instructor, Hunter Charles. After Everleigh’s biting sarcasm induces Hunter to eject her from class, a tempestuous relationship is born. Everleigh is determined to forget the striking man, but fate—that fickle shrew—continuously intervenes. Unable to escape him, she declares Hunter an enemy combatant. The only complication…Hunter is resolutely pursuing vindication…by any means necessary. Verbal warfare ensues, and despite Everleigh’s ingenious efforts, in Hunter, she has finally found her equal.Only For You is a compelling tale of friendship, desire, and redemption—brimming with intelligent characters, witty dialogue, unexpected twists, profound sorrow, unfettered hope, and love’s unassailable perseverance.• This story is appropriate for readers 18+• Only For You is the first book in the For You series by Genna Rulon. Each book in the series can be read as a stand alone novel.
Amber to Ashes
Gail McHugh - 2015
Amber Moretti's life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world. They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high. Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath. Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul. They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally.Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men. Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained. But one event changes everything, shattering each of their lives…and Amber isn’t sure she can come back from it.
Giving In
Lola King - 2021
He hides it well though, under a beautiful smile and eyes that ravage your heart.But Stoneview Prep’s golden boy has always had a dark aura around him. Like a well-guarded secret. A blackness that he never lets anyone see."Curiosity killed the cat, Jamie." My mom always tells me.She never said it would get me in more trouble than I could handle. She never said it would throw me into the dark world of Jake White. And when I not-so-accidentally find out part of Jake’s past, I finally learn the consequences of mischievous nosiness.Curiosity doesn’t kill this cat. It turns it into a mouse to be played with.At least that’s what Jake decided.JakeThree years. That’s how much my twin and I got of freedom before our past caught up with us.We were doing well, we were being good, we were keeping out of trouble. Most of all, I was in control.But trouble always finds a reason to make its way back to us. And when it does, Jamie Williams is here to witness it.In the morning I learned of her existence, in the afternoon she was spying on me like a fangirl.This girl is desperate to find out what’s behind the golden boy’s facade I was kind enough to put on.So be it.I have time on my hands, darkness on my mind, and a hundred ways to make Jamie Williams bend to my will.This book is approximately 92,000 words and is the first book of a three-book series. Giving In is a dark high school bully romance intended for mature readers. It contains detailed sexual scenes and bullying scenes that some readers may find triggering. If you are unsure of your triggers, please heed the author’s trigger warning in the book.
Drawn
Lilliana Anderson - 2013
And a friendship, so strong and loving that it will wait through anything.
In the end, you as the reader will be asked to make a choice. Aaron, or Damien. Light, or dark. There are two endings to this story, and only YOU can decide. Enter the world of Etta, in Drawn.Have you ever felt so drawn to someone, that you will put up with anything to be with them? That’s how I feel when I’m around him. Most of the time, I want to hate him. I want to stay as far away from him as possible. He’s so cocky, and arrogant. And he gets in the way and tells me what to do. He’s all things that I normally detest in a man. But, when we’re alone… I can’t even think for myself – the pull is that intense. I know I should run, I know I should stay away. But I can’t. I don’t know if I’m strong enough. What do you do when you just can’t stay away? Even when you know you should…***Content warning*** This is not your typical romance. This is an erotic thriller about an obsessive relationship between two people who struggle to maintain their control around each other. Its advised that readers be over 18 years of age before reading this novel due to sexual content and adult situations, including violence and abusive themes.
Ecstasy
K.V. Rose - 2020
Eli is a star athlete with a secret. And Alex? He’s just a f*cking a**hole.Their paths collide one night at a party that quickly spirals out of control. A series of volatile moments follow, enveloping the three of them in a whirlwind of drama, drugs, and destruction.Zara feels like she’s slipping under, losing her grip on reality. And if she isn’t careful, one of the boys just might pull her all the way down.But the thing about almost dying at the hands of someone you hate?In the moment before you take your last breath, the fear can feel a lot like...ecstasy.And that’s a high you only get once in a lifetime.Dark romance, suitable for 18+.
Rhythm & Blu
S.L. Jennings - 2018
And I played it on repeat until life’s streetlights flickered on and stole him away. Riot Blu. Top 40 f*ckboi. Paparazzi player. Trashy reality TV trainwreck. But once upon a time, he was the boy next door. Once upon a time, he was every note in every song on every mixtape he had ever made for me.Now he’s back. A lot more arrogant. A little more tortured. And more gorgeous than any memory I held dear could do justice. I know no good can come from being anywhere near him. But Seattle is only so big, and if I’m going to get the exclusive of my career, I have to swallow my pride, take that dreaded walk down memory lane and agree to his terms. Move in with him. Immerse myself in his life—the life he left me to build. And try not to fall back in love with the man who ripped my world in two.
Rock Hard
K.A. Linde - 2015
Linde…Bryna feels his eyes on her. Hot, seductive, enticing.He's at least fifteen years older than her, and he knows exactly what he's doing to her with that look.Walking away would be the smart thing to do...But she can't.Not that first night when he takes her home and claims her body. Not when he shows up in her life again with expensive gifts to win her trust. Not even when she's falling for him.And everything else is falling apart... Book 1 of 2 in the Girl’s Best Friend DuetThis book was previously published as Diamonds
Unwritten
Lauren Runow - 2015
Ashley as his clients know him, is a high-end male escort who gets paid thousands for whatever services his clients require. He’s lived the last ten years alone, not letting anyone in, enjoying his success and provocative lifestyle.Allison Hayes has no idea the man she is falling in love with is a male escort. She connects with Charlie through their love of music, playing a taunting game asking herself if she loves him, hates him or if she is going to save him.After meeting Allison, Charlie enters a world where everything he knows no longer makes sense, leaving him too scared to move forward, yet making it impossible to look back. But can he give up his entire life for love?
Big Jock
Vanessa Kinney - 2017
Casey Boone David Cooper is just like every other jock. Cocky, full of himself, and a player. He cares more about football and parties than passing his classes. And that's why I'm stuck with him. Forced to tutor someone I despise. Someone that reminds me of who I used to be. David Cooper I'm the biggest thing to happen to this school. Because of that I get whatever I want. Endorsements, Parties, and any girl that I could want. Yet I don't want any of that since I met her. Cassey Boone is strong willed, smart-as-hell, drop dead gorgeous, and she doesn't care who I am. And that makes me want her even more. I won't stop until I make her mine. Big Jock is a scorching standalone Bad Boy Sports Romance with no cheating and a happy ending. Recommended for readers 18+ due to extreme scenes of panty-dropping hotness. Big Jock ends at around 55% percent. For a limited a copy of King: MC Romance is also included at the end of the story.
Beautiful Disaster
Jamie McGuire - 2011
She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand. Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.
Torn Apart
K. Webster - 2020
This story contains MF/MFMM/MM scenes. It’s the first book in the Torn and Bound duet and ends with a cliffhanger.