Book picks similar to
Southbound Surrender by Raen Smith


new-adult
romance
netgalley
contemporary

Pinned Up


C. Michelle - 2013
    The cat eyeliner with exaggerated lashes and the red lipstick on my porcelain face make the forties inspired look reach perfection.I enjoy being a pin-up model…C. Michelle’s vibrant debut novel, Pinned Up is full of snappy dialogue, edgy humor, and a lot of heart. This fun look into the world of a modern-day pin-up model is one wild ride!Twenty-five-year-old Nina Moretti lives a double life of sorts. She’s a victim advocate during the day and as a side gig, lives out her 1940s fetish as a pin-up model in San Francisco, California. While she may not “do” serious relationships, she has fulfillment in her work and hanging out with her best friend, Kade—the greatest sidekick any woman could possibly want. All is well in Nina’s hectic, but satisfying life…That is, until she meets Josh, a stunningly handsome man who has a notorious reputation as a ladies’ man. For his part, Josh is reluctant to commit to any woman, largely due to his loving, yet overbearing mother. Nina, however, sparks his interest in a way that no other woman has before. As they navigate the pitfalls of romantic entanglement, both come to realize their pasts are intertwined in ways they could never imagine. Perhaps, they have more in common than just their fear of relationships. What are two people afraid of commitment supposed to do?

Nowhere But Here


Katie McGarry - 2015
    Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both. Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Beautiful Savages


J. Capulet - 2021
    Five love stories. One murder.The five Savage siblings and heirs are American royalty. Ares the CEO, Apollo the rock star, Athena the bestselling novelist, Eros the movie star and Artemis the supermodel have it all. But what few people know is that they’d trade all the money and fame in the world for one thing.As glamorous as their lives may be, what each of them wants is elusive: the same kind of star-crossed love their parents were known for. But nothing is perfect, and not everything is always as it seems. Before they’ll arrive at their happily ever afters—if they can get there at all—they’ll leave a trail of broken hearts, jilted lovers and obsessed fans along the way. And when someone turns up dead at the Wedding of the Year, it’s not clear at first who the victim or killer is, or what the motive might turn out to be … Beautiful Savages is a fun standalone rom-com with a murder mystery twist.

Tab Bennett and the Inbetween


Jes Young - 2012
    Her job as a bank teller is safe and secure, her grandfather finally let her move out of the house (at least to the cottage at the end of the driveway), and her fiance fiercely guards her chastity, whether she wants him to or not. It's something of a shock, then, when Tab learns that she is the elvish queen of the fabled kingdom of the Inbetween. Also shocking is the appearance of the staggeringly confident and gorgeous elvish warrior who claims to be Tab's true betrothed. Even amidst a steamy love triangle, Tab must tell friend from foe in an unknown world of danger, deceit, magic, and sex.The first in the Underneath and Inbetween trilogy, The Uncovering sparkles with wit and unadulterated fun.

Falling to Ash


Karen Mahoney - 2012
    Not only does she have to answer to her strict Irish-Catholic Dad, but her overprotective maker, Theo, is intent on making her the star attraction in his powerful Boston vampire clan. Moth will have to pull off the double-act of the century to please both of them. Adding to her problems is the dangerously attractive Jason Murdoch, a trainee vampire hunter who loves to play cat and mouse in his spare time—Jason the cat, and Moth the mouse. But when the young and gorgeous teenagers of Boston's wealthiest families start to disappear, it forces Moth and Jason into an uneasy truce. Will they be able to solve the mystery behind the disappearances before someone winds up undead?

Freeing Her


A.M. Hargrove - 2014
    the story of two people who were meant to be together. Why? Because unknown to them, they shared terrifying pasts and the cruel circumstances of their births doomed both of them to a life of hell. Two strangers ... one night ... one accidental meeting that changed their lives forever. Gabriella Martinelli, Manhattan psychiatrist had only one goal in life—to help abuse victims avoid the horrors she’d experienced herself. She worked late, volunteered, and donated her services to anyone who needed them. Life was good ... until her nightmare resurfaced. He found her, and began stalking her, and she knew he wouldn’t stop until he destroyed every ragged piece of her.Kolson Hart, Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor, was ruled by his dark past. He liked control, from the boardroom to the bedroom and didn’t care to be involved with someone whose life was just as screwed up as his was. But one look at Gabriella short-circuited everything. Want ... desire ... need ... will sometimes drive a man to do things he swore he never would.He freed her from a life of fear ... When he couldn’t even save himself.

From Here to You


Jamie McGuire - 2018
    She's never been able to stand up for herself, but she'll sure as hell stand up for her baby. With just the cash she has on hand, she runs to get a bus ticket to the farthest place she can afford. Between her sheer grit and pageant-queen smile, she lands a job as a front desk clerk at the Colorado Springs Hotel. It's not a glamorous life, but she and her baby are all that matters.A former Marine, Scott "Trex" Trexler has worked in the most dangerous, corrupt, war-torn places on earth. Now he finally has a chance to return to the last place he'd felt at peace--Colorado Springs, Colorado, to take a new job with the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, a top-secret military installation buried deep within the granite.The moment Trex walks into the inn, Darby knows he's dangerous. There's no way she wants to get involved with another man who seems to be keeping way too many secrets. As charming and devastatingly gorgeous as Trex is, he clearly isn't telling her everything. But as wildfires rage on the mountain and Darby's ex-fiancé shows he isn't so willing to let her go, both she and Trex are soon to find out that what you don't know absolutely can hurt you.

Wild Child


Audrey Carlan - 2020
    Hand in hand I walked with my big sister up the steps of Kerrighan House, a foster home for girls. We were lucky to be met with open arms and a house filled with children just like us. Children who’d lost everything. From that day forward, we were raised as one big family. Our bonds of sisterhood were strengthened through shared experience, pain, sacrifice, and love. Sisters not by blood, but by choice.Soul sisters.The second day my life changed was on the worst day of my adult life. My boyfriend broke up with me via text. My sleazy boss hit on me, forcing me to quit a job I desperately needed. And the cherry on top, was getting pulled over by an FBI Agent. Little did I know, he’d also save my life that night.From the moment we met, Agent Fontaine wouldn’t dare let me out of his sight. And between his alpha ways, kind brown eyes, and heroism, I was lost to the man who hid behind his job. But this agent had a rule: never fall for a woman you’ve saved.Yet I wasn’t just any woman. I was known among my sisters for taking risks and dreaming big. I was the wild child of the group. We were raised to appreciate every day as the gift it was, and not let anything stand in our way. The more I got to know the brooding, serious FBI man, the more I realized maybe it was my duty to save him.

Center Ice


Cate Cameron - 2015
    After her mother’s death, she moved to Corrigan Falls to live with strangers—her dad and his perfect, shiny new family—and there doesn’t seem to be room for a city girl with a chip on her shoulder. The only person who makes her feel like a real human being is Tyler MacDonald.But Karen isn’t interested in starting something with a player. And that’s all she keeps hearing about Tyler.Corrigan Falls is a hockey town, and Tyler’s the star player. But the viselike pressure from his father and his agent are sending him dangerously close to the edge. All people see is hockey—except Karen. Now they’ve managed to find something in each other that they both desperately need. And for the first time, Tyler is playing for keeps…This Entangled Teen Crush book contains adult language, underage drinking, sexual situations, and crazy squirrels. It may cause you to become a fan of hockey - or at least hot hockey players.

The Predicteds


Christine Seifert - 2011
    At least she has Jesse… sort of. He wants to be more than “just friends,” but there’s something he’s not telling her about his past. Something dangerous. When a female student is brutally attacked, police turn to PROFILE, a new program that can predict a student’s capacity for violent behavior, to solve the case. As the witch hunt ensues, Daphne is forced to question her feelings for Jesse—and what she will do if her first love turns out to be a killer.

Here's to Tomorrow


Teagan Hunter - 2015
    He’s funny, hot in that panty-melting sort of way—exactly the type of guy I’d crawl between the sheets with.Only problem? He’s looking to settle down, and I’m not.I have big plans to leave this town behind. The last thing I should do is get tangled up with a guy like him.So please explain to me why the moment he looks at me from under the hood of my car, the sarcastic replies on my lips come out sounding sweeter. Why does he make me want to settle down, right here…with him? He’s not what I wanted.But maybe he’s what I need…Here's to Forever, a follow-up novella, is available now!

A Portrait of Emily Price


Katherine Reay - 2016
    But when Emily follows Ben home to Italy, she learns that his family is another matter . . .Emily Price—fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist—dreams of having a gallery show of her own. There is no time for distractions, especially not the ultimate distraction of falling in love.But Chef Benito Vassallo’s relentless pursuit proves hard to resist. Visiting from Italy, Ben works to breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccollo. Soon after their first meeting, he works to win Emily as well—inviting her into his world and into his heart.Emily astonishes everyone when she accepts Ben’s proposal and follows him home. But instead of allowing the land, culture, and people of Monterello to transform her, Emily interferes with everyone and everything around her, alienating Ben’s tightly knit family. Only Ben’s father, Lucio, gives Emily the understanding she needs to lay down her guard. Soon, Emily’s life and art begin to blossom, and Italy’s beauty and rhythm take hold of her spirit.Yet when she unearths long-buried family secrets, Emily wonders if she really fits into Ben’s world. Will the joys of Italy become just a memory, or will Emily share in the freedom and grace that her life with Ben has shown her are possible?

Halo


Frankie Rose - 2013
    Her training. Her halo.The first and second give her the ability to defeat the opponents she is pitted against each month. The third frees her from pain and fear. From any kind of emotion at all. Everything is as it should be. Everything is as it should be, until…Fear… Pain… Anger… Happiness… Desire… Guilt…Love.When a newly named Kit escapes the Sanctuary after killing her best friend, the last thing she needs is another knife in her hand. Or Ryka, the damaged, beautiful blond boy, whom she refuses to let save her. The sights and sounds of Freetown are new, yet one thing is familiar: the matches. The only difference? Where the blood in the Sanctuary landed only on the Colosseum floor, Kit will quickly learn that a river of red runs through Freetown’s very streets.Without her halo, the inhabitants of Kit’s new home consider her saved, but is that really the case? The reality of her old life is paralyzing. Would she be better off free of the guilt associated with all the blood on her hands, or is the love of one boy worth living through all the pain?Raksha is the call of the dead. It is the rumbling chant for fresh blood from the other side, the demand for sacrifice. The Colosseum is behind Kit. The fighting pits await.

Summer Rush


Ashley Wilcox - 2013
    Please find the other Summer Rush on my profile for the new and extended version*Hope Taylor is a smart Southern girl with a good head on her shoulders and a positive outlook on life. Even though things are simple and predictable, Hope is happy and content. Her boyfriend is tall, handsome and hardworking. Trent is everything a girl could want in a man and life is going according to plan, until she meets Joey Puccino.Although Joey is arrogant and gets under her skin, Hope is still drawn to him and her body craves him like a bad drug. Even though she knows it is wrong, the attraction Hope feels is undeniable. Will Hope choose her simple, yet comfortable life with Trent? Or will she give in to the desire and pull she feels for Joey?

The Secret Diamond Sisters


Michelle Madow - 2014
    One billionaire father. What could go wrong?Savannah. Courtney. Peyton.The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad -- a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite.Suddenly the Strip's most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past."This quick and entertaining read is filled with glitz and glamour... Get ready for one crazy and fabulous ride." -RT Book Reviews"Sexy and often electrifying... Gossip Girl meets The Princess Diaries in a city that never sleeps."-Booklist