Book picks similar to
Force of Gravity by Melissa Toppen


college
college-young-adult
contemporary
brother-sister-friends

The Boy Next Door


Jennifer Sucevic - 2021
    I’ve spent more years than I care to admit crushing hard on Colton Montgomery. The blond, blue-eyed hottie leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake wherever he goes. Mine being one of them. Just when I’d decided to cut my losses and move on, he appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. It had all seemed like a fairytale until he dumped me.Through text message, no less.Ouch.Eighteen months and one study abroad program later, I’ve returned to Wesley University to finish out my senior year.And Colton?He’s nothing more than a regrettable mistake I’d prefer to forget. Or so I tell myself. It only takes one run-in to realize that my feelings for him aren’t as dead and buried as I’d thought. Nope, they’re still there, simmering dangerously beneath the surface.He wants a second chance to make things right.That’s not going to happen.But Colton has other ideas.And part of me is afraid that if he actually puts his mind to it, he’ll end up changing mine.

The Trouble With Bullies


Ruby Vincent - 2019
    they hate when you stand up to them. I used to be on top. I used to rule the school. Then one cruel act knocked me off my pedestal and Christian was more than happy to ride me down.Christian Moreau: resident bad boy, former best friend, now my tormentor. Nobody dared to stand up to him until one girl, a bottle of vodka, and a shove changed everything.Yeah, that girl was me.If only I had known what that shove would set off.A war with the Queen Bee of Meadow Creek. Long-hidden dark secrets revealed. And Christian Moreau moving in down the hall.Christian lures me into his game, but he's not the only bully that came to play.Can I handle the price of playing when winning may grant me his heart... but losing could cost me my life? The Trouble With Bullies is a high school bully romance. This book features language and sexual scenes. If you're cool with that, dive in!

How to Date Your Brother's Best Friend


Julie Kriss - 2016
    No filter. No morals. Meet my boyfriend. Holly Everyone knows Dean Madden. He's a bad boy - and my older brother's best friend. The guy you'd never bring home to your parents. His looks are pure sex, and the only fun he knows how to have is the filthy kind. I've known him for years. No one in their right mind thinks I should date him. But now I've grown up - and everything has changed. I want him, even if it's just for a little while. Until I can't let him go. Dean I'm not that guy - the relationship guy. I'm the one-and-done guy, or so everyone says. But when Holly bets me she can date me for four weeks, I'm not going to say no. She's grown up gorgeous - and now I've got my chance. I don't deserve her. It can't get serious. I can't get my feelings involved, because there are things she doesn't know about me. But until it falls to pieces, I can give her the wildest, hottest four weeks of her life.... *This is a full-length standalone with no cheating and an HEA.*

Don't Love Me


S. Doyle - 2020
    That's when I met Ash, she was ten and the daughter of the man who owned the estate. She thought I would be her new best friend but I only wanted to be left alone. For years she was always there, always annoying me, always wanting more from me. But our roles were clear. She was the princess and I was the chauffeur's charity case.I told her not to fall in love with me...she didn't listen.

Dark Legacy: The Complete Series


Jaymin Eve - 2020
    Includes Broken Wings, Broken Trust, Broken Legacy, and a BONUS never before seen epilogue. They rule my new town, my school, and with more money than God, there's very little out of their reach.Four gorgeous, perfect, scary boys. There used to be five, but one of them died, leaving a fifth position that I now fill. I didn't ask for this. I didn't want to be part of this billionaire-boys-club. But no one cares about what I want.Sebastian Beckett is the worst of them. Their leader. He draws me in, and strips me of every defense I have. He calls me Butterfly, but it's not a pet name, it's a threat. Beck wants nothing more than to break my wings, pin me to a board and watch me writhe.He wants to see me broken. Body, heart and soul.And what these elite want, they get.Only they've never met Riley Jameson.Let the battle begin.*This dark contemporary romance features one girl and four sexy, dangerous boys but is NOT a reverse harem.*

Kings of Westbrook High


Bethany Winters - 2020
    Loyalty. Unconditional love..I've never seen anything like it."All it took was one bullet. One bullet put a dent in my plan to survive the vicious storm that is my father and flipped my entire world on its' axis.Dragged from the dumps of Sin City to the Palace of Westbrook, I find myself living in a strange new version of hell, surrounded by sexy bad boys, money and power.The Kingston brothers own this city and everyone in it. They seem to think they can rule me.Unfortunately for them, I don't follow rules.And my stepbrothers are about to find out just how far I'm willing to go to survive.He wants my body. He can take it. But he will never take my heart. Because you can't take what no longer exists. This is a full length dark high school romance with themes some readers might find offensive. Contains graphic language, dark triggers, drugs, violence and sex. It is book 1 of 3 in the Kingston Brothers series but can be read as a complete standalone.

Cross Check


Colleen Masters - 2016
     We grew up together, me the bookish nerd, him the rich popular jock. To make matters worse, my parents worked for his, they were the groundskeeper and housekeeper of the King estate my entire life. But now that Jamison’s parents are gone, he needs me to run his father’s company—his father’s dying wish was that we get married to align our interests… I have a feeling we’ll be aligning much more than that if Jamison gets his way. And he always does. Includes BONUS BOOK Stepbrother Billionaire!!!! This novel is a full-length contemporary sports romance novel. Contains harsh language and graphic sexual content. Readers 18++ No Cliff.

Mack: A Standalone Enemies-to-Lovers Romance


Alex Wolf - 2021
    Arrogant. Powerful.Presley Griffin is a do-gooder out to save the world.Sweet. Giving. Smart.But they have one thing in common… They’re ruthless in the courtroom.The spark is instant. The attraction undeniable.The yearning inescapable.And when they go from enemies to lovers, can they both survive the fire?

Wicked Secrets


Renee Harless
    It was dark. It was ugly. It was my dirty secret.No one knew the weight of the burdens that nearly consumed me. I lived with a singular focus—seeking revenge on my father.Then the new girl, Jolee Ward, moved into the apartment above me and shattered my carefully constructed world. We were like oil and water. . . until we weren’t.Then we detonated like gasoline and fire, but the inferno threatened to destroy us both. One night with her couldn’t erase years spent plotting.Wellington University wasn’t big enough for the both of us.(Previously published as Of Boys and Men)

Redlined


Cala Riley - 2021
    That is, until one of them sends me far away, making me lose the other.Now, stuck with a cousin I’m not sure even wants me here trying to pick up the scattered pieces of my life, all I want to do is find my own way.Who cares if I’m slightly attracted to the asshole who seems to run these parts? Or that I’m starting to find his little tests exciting?Who cares that the abandonment I felt from the people I thought were my family fades as I find a new group to grow close to.It doesn’t mean anything. In the end, I’ll be gone, right?RomanI knew she was going to be trouble the minute I got the call she was coming. I didn’t expect her to light my blood on fire, though.Now, she’s slowly integrating herself into my life, one irritatingly yet sexy glare at a time.It doesn’t matter that I think the fact that she knows her cars is a huge turn on. Or that I crave having her near me.The fact that I’m itching to protect her has nothing to do with the way she makes me feel.There’s no room in the inner circle for new blood. So why does she seem to fit right in?

Addictive


Lola Finn - 2020
    Gorgeous. Frustrating. Sculpted perfection.Years ago, he claimed me as his best friend and then left, never to be heard from again—or so I thought until he showed up last year.We both spent the summer working at his father's luxury resort. Except he pretended not to know me, ignored me, managed to not even look at me for twelve weeks.Now we're both back again for another season, and a lot has changed since last year.He isn't just my secret obsession anymore. He isn't just my boss for the entire summer.Knox Cabot is about to become my stepbrother.And given the scorching stares, forbidden touches, and downright dirty things he says, Knox plans to claim me again...only in a hotter, sinful, and much more scandalous way.Welcome to Haven Cove. Elite, sexy, scandalous—and that's just the guests and staff. At one of the world's most exclusive resorts, someone's always doing something they shouldn't. Or, more likely...someone.Don't forget the sunscreen. It's amping up to be one long, hot summer. Each book in the Haven Cove series is a complete standalone with no cliffhangers, no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

Love Rewritten


J. Saman - 2017
    So when lacrosse star, Brandon Kessler, comes along with his all-American good looks, easy disposition and magnetic charm, things seem to be looking up. Even if they come from two totally different worlds. Xander Novak is the gorgeous, volatile and often times mean best friend of Abby's twin brother, Aubrey. Her relationship with him is strained at best. But when Xander moves in unexpectedly, things seem to shift between them. But in what direction?One night of deception, lies, and heartbreak are a common link the three share. When the truth about that night comes out, none of their lives will ever be the same.Will Abby be able to find the love she's been searching for or will everything in her world fall apart?Warning: Strong language and moderate sexual content.

Save Me


Bella Scully - 2015
    Cal Gatlin hates me. And now? Cal Gatlin is my stepbrother. I’ve been broken since Dad died. Crippled by pain and the secrets I keep. I’m supposed to be perfect—the good girl with the 5.0 GPA and a ticket to Harvard. The last thing I need is a sexy, dangerous, tattooed bad boy stalking me, flirting with me, and calling me Sis with a cheeky grin. Especially if that bad boy is my obsessive childhood bully. Cal Gatlin. I hate him. But now that we are forced together by our parents' marriage, our acts are breaking down. He’s seeing the weak, imperfect side of me I’ve been terrified to show to anyone. And I’m discovering the pain beneath his cocky bad boy mask. Deep down, we’re each both just as broken as the other. Loving Cal Gatlin hurts. It’s dangerous. It’s reckless. But maybe we can save each other. ___ Warning: this novel contains strong language, adult themes, and explicit sex. It is intended for readers over the age of 18.

Soft Like Thunder


Julia Wolf - 2022
    What a sweet name for a girl who is anything but.The first time I laid eyes on Theo Whitlock, I chased him and his frat boy friends with a bat.I’m no white knight.I’m broke. He’s rich. I destroyed his car. He chooses not to rat me out.I was never supposed to go to college, but especially not one like Savage U, where only the wealthiest need apply. One might call this a lucky break, only I don’t feel so lucky with a drug dealer breathing down my neck, and a gangster threatening to burn my house down.You have a face that could launch a thousand ships.Theo and I don’t make sense, but being with him feels good, and I need more than my books and classes to distract me from the chaos and violence in my life.I know you’re my good girl. Aren’t you, Helen? Tell me.We’re casual. No complications. We have to be. I’m keeping secrets, and I have a feeling behind Theo Whitlock’s twinkly blue eyes is a whole world of darkness.Do you think about me?Too much…Did I hurt you?He will...if the other savages don’t get to me first.(Full blurb to come! The release date will be moved forward. Savage U is a spin-off of The Savage Crew, but can be read as a standalone!)

Thorne


Ketley Allison - 2021
    No, he wants to punish me for being here, wrap fear around my neck until I run, and smile while he chases me down.My aim was to blend in, get the grades, stay busy with extra-curriculars, all while pretending my own problems weren’t blowing up behind the scenes, but Thorne makes it impossible.The only way for me to survive is to find out what dirty little secrets Thorne keeps to himself. To do that, I must follow him into the darker corners of the academy, the place where they make college hazings look like child’s play.I watch the pleasure spark in his eyes as he does it. The joy he has over bringing pain.What makes me most ashamed is … I like watching him.If I’m not careful, Thorne will capitalize on that curiosity, and he will squeeze my heart until it bleeds.THORNE is a dark high school bully romance containing mature themes such as bullying, enemies-to-lovers, and intense, potentially triggering, situations meant for 17+. It ends on a cliffhanger.