Book picks similar to
Stealing Promises by Brina Courtney


new-adult
romance
contemporary
stand-alone

Shut Up & Kiss Me


Claire C. Riley - 2015
    After relocating from a small town in Tennessee, Mila has been living in New York City for a year in half, more than happy to be lost in the crowd. Living vicariously through her best friend and roommate Nikki, Mila spends her day’s waitressing and her evenings at home. Then, one night, after getting exclusive tickets to a nightclub downtown, Nikki is able to convince Mila to let loose for once. He’s running from his future. Having lived a privileged life, William is used to getting what he wants, and who he wants. Now though, in his thirties, he’s bored, and seeking more from his life than mindless sex, and even worse—mindless women. Spotting Mila from across the club he realizes right away that she’s different from what he’s used to, an observation that proves true. One night together will change everything for both of them. Pasts and futures will collide, secrets will be revealed, and the results will transform both their lives forever.

Deeper


Blue Ashcroft - 2013
    It’s a promise she made the day her boyfriend died in a water park accident, one she still blames herself for. Now she’s a senior lifeguard in a new town with a new pool and she’s just going to keep her head down and everyone safe. Until a mysterious guy follows her into the waves at the pre-season bonfire and kisses her senseless. It’s just one mistake, and Rain is determined to put it behind her, until the dark haired, blue eyed hottie turns out to be her new co-supervisor Knight Mcallister. Knight is hot, tatted, and carrying baggage of his own. He’s not happy about having Rain for a co-supervisor, and he’s even less happy about his attraction to her. But between lifeguard drama, hot underwater kisses, and a growing attraction between them that can’t be stopped, Knight and Rain are being pulled deeper into their pasts, and realizing that sometimes too much broken can make a relationship impossible.Then again sometimes it’s the broken parts of us that fit together best.

Spark


Jennifer Ryder - 2014
    An addiction to romance novels. I eat them for breakfast. I hide it the best I can, but I need them to breathe. It’s how I cope.I’ve had a swag of book boyfriends, but now that I’m free from the responsibility of caring for my three younger brothers, it’s time to find one in the flesh. In real life, no girl meets their hero on page one, or even at the end of chapter one. I should know. My journey is real. It’s not perfect, and it sure as hell isn’t easy—but the fight for something worthwhile never is.

Be Here Now


Andrea Wolfe - 2013
    Attacked her. Raped her. Left her for dead. She lost her whole life in New Orleans and fled to Seattle, hoping to find sanctuary from her dark past. Simone LeClair isn't sure if she'll ever love anyone again—or if she even wants to.That is, until she meets the beautiful Aiden Meyers, a man with a myriad problems of his own, a man that wears different masks to keep his conflicting worlds separate from each other. For some strange reason, as soon as Simone lays her eyes on him, she can't look away. He's unlike any man she's ever met, and that makes him all the more unbelievable.When she's with him, all her pain becomes a distant memory, pain that she believed she'd never escape. But as Aiden's walls start to crumble, and the worlds he juggles start to collide, Simone realizes he's dangerous in a whole new way - she's fallen hard for him, even though he's on a downward spiral that threatens to take her down with him.Will Simone sink with him?Or will she pull herself out before it's too late?Full length (93,000 word) New Adult Contemporary RomanceMature Content Warning: Contains adult language and content.HEA ending.

Tattoo Thief


Heidi Joy Tretheway - 2013
    But as his house sitter, she must pick up the pieces for the front man of the white-hot rock band Tattoo Thief. When ultra-responsible Beryl confronts the reckless rock star, she wants to know more than just what to do with his mess. Why is he running? What’s he searching for? And is he responsible for the death of his muse? New York newbie Beryl must find her footing in Gavin’s crazy world of the ultra-wealthy to discover her own direction and what can bring him back.Steamy, sassy and tender, Tattoo Thief is a story of breaking from a comfort zone to find a second chance.

Sweet Love at Bayside


Addison Cole - 2018
    Bayside Summers is a series of standalone romance novels featuring fiercely loyal heroes and sassy, empowered women. They're fun, flirty, flawed, and easy to relate to.In Sweet Love at Bayside…As the co-owner of Bayside Resorts, Rick Savage has a fabulous job working with his best friends and brother, and a thriving business in Washington, DC, which he'll be returning to at the end of the summer. Spending time with his family is great, but being back on Cape Cod has unearthed painful memories. When sweet, smart, and overly cautious Desiree Cleary moves in next door, Rick is drawn to the sexy preschool teacher, and she just might prove to be the perfect distraction.Running an art gallery was not in preschool teacher Desiree Cleary's plans, but after being tricked into coming to her impetuous, unreliable mother's aid, she's stuck spending the summer with the rebellious half sister she barely knows and a misbehaving dog. If that's not frustrating enough, she can't escape the sparks igniting with her strikingly handsome and pushy neighbor, Rick, who makes all her warning bells go off.Passion ignites as Desiree and Rick spend long summer nights sharing heartfelt confessions and steamy kisses. For the first time in years Rick is enjoying life again instead of hiding behind mounds of work miles away from his family. Desiree has touched him in a way that makes him want to slow down. Only slowing down means dealing with his demons, and he isn't sure who he'll be when he comes out the other side.Sweet Love at Bayside is a Sweet with Heat novel and conveys all of the passion you'd expect to find between two people in love without any graphic scenes or harsh language. If you're looking for a spicier romance, pick up the steamy edition, Bayside Desires, written by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster. Addison Cole is Melissa's sweet-romance pen name.

Dare Me Forever


Paige Edward - 2013
    . . Twenty-three year old Amy Miller has been responsible for her little brother ever since their dad dropped dead and their mom took off six years ago. Now that her brother is eighteen, Amy's ready to fulfill her dream of opening her own stationary store.But the past has a way of sneaking up on you . . . Then an old friend comes back to town--Amy's high school boyfriend, Hunter Morgan, to be exact. The same guy who dropped her a week before prom, leaving her a sobbing mess in a sequined Jovani dress. The same gorgeous man who now wants Amy back and won't take no for an answer.And the future has a way of getting complicated . . . But when Amy meets Ryan Anderson, an irresistible Brit and powerful businessman tied to Hunter's company, their instant attraction and chemistry awakens a passion in her she never knew existed. Ryan is dangerous and sexy, pulling her deeper into a new world of desire where anything goes, while Hunter is determined to use all his old tricks to posses her again—body and soul. Soon Amy is torn between her incredible first love and the most desirable man she has ever known, but is she just a pawn in a wicked game? And if she surrenders herself to passion, will she be left a loser in love all over again?*Ages 17 plus, due to sexual situations and mature content*

Shattered


Elizabeth Lee - 2012
    Big plans that included getting the hell out of the little town she’d grown up in with her two best friends. When she decided it was time to let one of them know her true feelings for him; a change of plans resulted in a tragic turn of events. Now, Alyssa is left alone to find her way out of the darkness that an untimely death has left in its wake.Jesse Vaughn was never good at letting people in. He’d learned a long time ago that it’s easier that way because people leave, or, unfortunately, die. The one person he wanted to let in doesn’t want him anymore. The only problem is he can’t stop thinking about her. Jesse returns to the childhood home he left behind with one goal in mind… to convince her that they should be together. When Jesse finds Alyssa she’s not the same girl he left behind. She’s wild, reckless and hell-bent on not giving Jesse a second chance. Lucky for Jesse, his stubborn streak has always been a mile-wide and he’s not about to give up on her.When your life has been shattered can you really pick up all the pieces and move on?

Because of Ellison


M.S. Willis - 2014
    I had it all—good looks, a fast car and a hot girlfriend. Nothing in life was more important. That was, until I met Ellison James...Since the moment I first saw her she was a raging bull; tackling me in the mud and throwing out insults as fast as her tongue could form the sound. She was snarky She was rude And she pissed me off like no other woman could.I lived beside her for a summer and in the three months that I walked by her side...She opened my eyesShe changed my lifeAnd she made me a better man.

Girl of Mine


Taylor Dean - 2015
    A few weeks ago, he broke his engagement with Jillian Barrett, leaving her stunned and heartbroken.Knowing he can’t leave for war without putting his affairs in order, Luke obtains a four day pass with only one goal in mind: explain his life story to his former fiancée. The problem: Jill is now engaged to another man. But Luke isn’t giving up. He only has four days to gain an audience with Jill, even if he has to resort to drastic measures to do so. And he will . . .

Save Me From Myself


Stacey Lewis - 2014
    I tried to be the perfect daughter and fiancee, but after the people who are supposed to love me the most betrayed me, those days are done.I’m ready for a fresh start - and this time a relationship won’t define who I am.That means: No men.No complications.No turning back. At least, that was the plan before I met him.He wants me…And he’s not about to take no for an answer.

Whispered Promises


Kristin Mayer - 2015
    All she has ever known is a string of misconceptions, including her name. Upon her mother’s passing, Kenzie is left with no other choice but to disappear without a trace from all she has ever known which is The Society.She must vanish.Will Kenzie be able to fool The Society into thinking she’s dead? Or will they put the pieces together and discover she’s learned the truth about where she came from?

His Desire


Sheila Kell - 2014
    She’s independent. Together, desire will determine their future.Hamilton Investigation & Security leader, Jesse Hamilton, swears never to love again. The risk of losing his heart is too painful. Burying himself in work and caring for his daughter, he doesn’t expect strong-willed FBI Special Agent Kate Ross to break down his carefully constructed walls.When Kate is injured, Jesse pulls the full force of HIS into action to protect her. He refuses to be the reason behind another senseless death. Making a decision that could cost Kate her life, Jesse must decide just how far he’s willing to go to save the woman his heart desires.***HIS DESIRE is the first book in the HIS romantic suspense series.

Take Care, Sara


Lindy Zart - 2013
    Sara Walker knows firsthand what it feels like to have your reality ripped away, scrambled, and shoved back at you in an undone puzzle where pieces are missing and nothing fits. She's lost so much and is struggling to live and to find the strength to forgive herself for being human. With the help of Lincoln, her husband's brother, Sara realizes it's not about finding who she used to be, but about finding who she is now.You breathe in, you breathe out, and everything you know isn't gone, but reborn.

Defining Destiny


Deanna Chase - 2014
    At just twenty-one, she’s already met her soul mate and together they’ve landed a recording contract. But when her father dies and the love of her life betrays her in more ways than one, she returns home to pick up the pieces. On the shores of Mendocino, California, Lucy has some decisions to make. Should she start a solo career? Or should she leave it all behind for some semblance of normalcy in the quiet town she grew up in? And what about Seth, the tortured artist who always seems to be there when she needs him?Seth Keenan has demons of his own. Eighteen months ago, he was involved in a horrific accident that he never talks about. His career as an accomplished oil-paint artist has been abandoned, replaced by the buzz of his tattoo gun. And women—well, he never sticks around for longer than a few hours of pleasure… until he meets Lucy. After one evening of listening to her seductive voice, he’s pulled under. But what about the vow he made to never get close to anyone again?In a world where everyone has one true soul mate, can these two find love in the arms of each other?