Book picks similar to
If We Were Young by Anna Bloom


romance
contemporary
second-chance
freebie

Pulled


Amy Lichtenhan - 2011
    In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side. Now, when their lives intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago. But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and do they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart? Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have.

Royal


Winter Renshaw - 2016
    He’s not even a prince - though you could say I loved him once upon a time.He was my older brother’s best friend.Growing up, he sat at our dinner table every Sunday, teased me mercilessly, and pretended I annoyed him.When I was old enough, he took me on my first date.Royal taught me how to drive. Escorted me to my junior prom. Gave me my first kiss…amongst other things. He was my first taste of toe-curling, all-consuming, can’t-sleep love.We had our whole lives ahead of us. There was never anyone else for me but him.And then he disappeared. No letter. No explanation. Not even a goodbye.My sisters and brother never forgave him, and my parents forbade me from speaking his name in our house ever again. For all intents and purposes, we were to pretend Royal Lockhart never existed.I’ve spent the last seven years trying in vain to forget my first love, but just when I think I’ve finally moved on, guess who’s back in town?

Finding What's Mine


Janice M. Whiteaker
    I was sent to find her.Protect her at all costs. I never expected I would want to make her mine. Kerri is everything I’ve been told I can never have.All I shouldn’t be stupid enough to want.I want her anyway.And I’m willing to do whatever it takes.Even if it means walking away from everything I’ve ever had.****I thought I got away.Left a life I hated behind.But it’s come back for me in the form of a man with haunted eyes and wicked lips.A man who tempts me in ways no one has before.Evan brings out the best in me and tames the worst.I never expected I’d have to fight the man I hate most, to keep the one I love.But I’ll burn the world down before I let someone take him from me.⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ If big, tattooed, protective guys are your thing, this book will be catnip.⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ OMG I loved this book… I WANT MORE!!⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ FIVE HUGE and bright stars for this awesome read.⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Incredible writing and incredible characters.⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ A fast-paced story that draws you in from the beginning and doesn’t let you go until the final page.

The Boots My Mother Gave Me


Brooklyn James - 2010
    Made to feel a burden to her father simply by her gender, Harley is determined to prove her worth and independence, leaving the small town she grew up in and the one boy who gave her a soft place to fall, Jeremiah Johnson. Torn between saving herself and abandoning her mother and younger sister, Harley chooses her own life in hopes they will choose theirs, too.A mature, candid read for everyone. A must for women. The Boots My Mother Gave Me explores the dynamics of abuse and dysfunction, the courage to overcome, the strength in sisterhood, and the ongoing conflict and unconditional love between mothers and daughters.Climb into Charlene the Chevelle for a fast-paced story about a girl who is tough enough to survive and tender enough to learn to trust in love.Signed Paperback & Original Music Soundtrack to The Boots My Mother Gave Me can be found at www.brooklyn-james.com

Broken Lies


Gina Azzi - 2020
    She's a liar.I can have any woman I want. I want her. Zoe Clark.With wicked curves, a smart mouth, and unrivaled confidence, Zoe captivates me the moment she rejects me. Amused by her brush-off, I hire her to work on the set of my next film in the exotic Seychelles. For the next four months, she's not the sassy bartender from Chicago. Instead, she's the intense personal trainer running me through circuit trainings from hell.She's also the woman invading my thoughts, tearing down my walls, and offering me a glimpse of a future I don't deserve.Our spark flickers into a flame that blazes into a wildfire neither of us can resist.Her light blocks out the failures of my past, coaxing me to let her in.Except Zoe harbors a secret.Her pretty words are laced with deceit. Her intentions are tainted.And I fall for all her lies.***Broken Lies is book 1 in Second Chance Chicago Series and should be read prior to Twisted Truths.

Her Desert Prince


Marie Tuhart - 2018
    Years of hard work has given her a degree of acclaim. When offered the opportunity to work in the middle eastern country of Bashir to create the defining mural for the new children's critical care ward, Catherine embraces the chance to meld her love of children and her love of art. What she doesn’t think she is ready for is the blatant and instant passion she feels the moment she meets the successful country’s crown prince, Malik. Malik al-Hakim has been raised with the sole purpose of someday becoming the king of Bashir. Years of careful preparation by his loving family has him ready to take the yolk from his father one day, but nothing could prepare him for the instant lust he feels the moment he sees Catherine. Never one to let an opportunity slip by, Malik pursues Catherine, convincing her to explore their desire. But when political intrigue places Catherine in danger, Malik soon realizes lust has evolved to love and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep the woman of his dreams safely by his side, no matter how hard she tries to fight their fate.

Trigger


L.P. Dover - 2017
    . . that’s what I am. It’s what I do. It’s what I live for. I’m no longer the Preston Hale everyone knew. I left that life and the people in it a long time ago the second I made my first kill. I wasn’t going to give in, but when I heard the screams there was no going back. It triggered the pain, the need. I knew what I had to do, and I did it well. But I never expected for Emma Turner – the only link to my past – to come back into my life. She triggers a different emotion inside me, something I hadn’t ever felt. It’s not a want to kill . . . but a need to CLAIM.

Hidden Heart


Measha Stone - 2014
    He’s a man with determination.And after one evening with Jessica, he’s determined to claim her as his. Jessica is perfectly content keeping relationships casual. She’d rather fall in lust than love. And one glance at Royce- she’s definitely in lust. But Royce doesn’t kiss and bail. Jessica may try to hide behind a thick wall, but he senses the fires burning hot. If he has to break through kiss by kiss, he will.

Beautiful Ruin


Amy Olle - 2015
    Soon, she's face-to-face with a man from her past. The one man she never stopped longing for.Renowned archaeologist, Noah Nolan, swore he’d never return to the small, remote island in Lake Michigan. After agreeing to complete a short-term excavation project, he realizes the site belongs to the woman who inexplicably rejected him years before. A woman he’s never forgotten – or forgiven.When Noah’s affinity for uncovering all things lost, forgotten, and buried stirs Mina’s repressed memories of a terrifying secret, she must find the courage to unearth the past, or risk losing the treasure of her heart forever.

Love on the Cape


M.K. Meredith - 2017
    But when Van Buren Enterprises announces plans to develop historic Cape Van Buren into a gold-plated playground for the wealthy, Larkin refuses to watch one more beautiful thing in her life be destroyed, so she sets out to preserve the historic cape—and with it, the memory of her son. Only it isn’t the company she needs to fear, it’s the dangerously irresistible CEO who has the power to derail her plans. Annoyingly arrogant one minute and beautifully wounded the next, he awakens something in her heart that had died with her son even as his actions promise to break it once again.Ryker Van Buren needs closure from his dark childhood and the best way to do that is to level his family home. As the rightful owner of the estate, he plans on developing it into a master community—what better way to secure his future than by selling off his past? Until he locks eyes with the passionate conservationist who fights him at every turn for the rights to his legacy. He can’t keep his hands off her, but worse, he can’t get her off his land or out of his dreams.Attraction sparks and two broken souls recognize each other through the pain. Against all odds, love blooms on the cape. But when their pasts collide, will they choose love in the moment, or will they lose their chance at forever?

Fixing Fate


Anna Brooks - 2017
    My brother’s friend and ex-partner is everything I’ll never be. Sexy, confident, and perfect. He calls me sunshine and tells me I’m beautiful. He asks me to stay. When my past come back with a vengeance, he proves just how much he’d risk to shield me from the demons that were never supposed to resurface.

Black Desire


C.J. Thomas - 2017
    But he was the reason I stayed. Criminal defense lawyer, Kelly Black, came into my life as I was on my way out. He was infuriatingly handsome, except the Madam said I couldn’t have him. And no matter how many dates I had to keep my mind off of him, Mr. Black was the man who dominated my thoughts. Then it happened. Ignoring the warnings that he was dangerous, I let him into my life not realizing that his touch would be the reason my broken past resurfaced. Determined not to lose the man who turned my life around, it was up to me to let him know who I truly was. But when he presented me with a demand of his own, I wasn’t sure I was ready to agree to his terms. Submitting was never my strong suit. *Black Desire is intended for mature audiences only.

Not So Broken (Love Grows Series Book 1)


Renee Regent - 2019
    An independent woman. When they collide, love grows in a most unexpected way! A bitter divorce from my cheating ex-husband left me reeling, but I forged a new life on my own. Now on the verge of a promotion, everything I want is in reach—except a family. I’ve all but given up on ever having a child.So I decided I would adopt one on my own.Then one wild night changed everything. I was swept away by Gibson, a hot-looking handyman who was, well, pretty good with his hands. And then some.But there were unintended consequences from our tryst. Now he and I are forever connected, and it turns out Gibson was not at all what he seemed to be. We barely know each other, and now he is in my life forever. Maybe we can make this work if we stay platonic.That will be easy, right?The Love Grows Series- Strong, protective heroes. Feisty, independent heroines. When they meet, Love Grows in unexpected ways.

Fight For You


Charisse Spiers - 2014
    The blood spattered everywhere was no longer mine. I wore crimson on my fists. I liked it. I finally tore out of the useless adolescent I was and took control—something I should have done a long time ago. But I wasn’t broken alone, and probably why it took so long. So much was stolen from her too, and once I set the beast inside me free, I couldn’t stop until I righted every wrong.Then we ran like hell.All she ever wanted was for me to love her. And in ways I did, every time he took what wasn’t his to take. I sent her away, forcing her to make a life for herself, never to come after me, to breathe a word of what happened, or to go back. I left her crying and pleading to go with me. I never looked back.I promised I’d make something of myself for both of us, and I did. For her I fight. I win. I make my opponent pay in blood. I will never again be at the losing end of a swinging fist. All it takes is unleashing memories in that cage and I can’t be beaten. I reward myself with a night of fun that never turns into morning. Then came Alyvia—the girl that proved she was better than that. The girl that became my best friend. The girl that changed my life in more ways than one.She gave me her. Piper Morgan—a real life dream catcher. I wasn’t supposed to touch her. I’ve never been a rule follower. She was too appetizing to pass up. I broke a promise. The first time I wanted a woman to stay, she walked away. The control I fought so hard for is gone. In the middle of my spiraling addiction, secrets are uncovered, my past returns, and unexpected circumstances hunt me down. The motto a fighter lives by—fight or get the fuck out of the cage.

Lost in Us


Layla Hagen - 2014
    But when her boyfriend of six years abruptly leaves her, she’s catapulted back into pain, nursing a broken heart. When indulging in mountains of chocolate doesn’t work, Serena decides the best way to deal with her shattered heart is to indulge in something else. A rebound... The night she swaps her usual Sprite for tequila, she meets James. The encounter is breathtaking.Electrifying.And best not repeated. James is a successful entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. A man who has amassed a fortune by taking risks. A man who has shunned commitment completely, and still does. He’s the exact opposite of Serena. But sometimes opposites attract. Sometimes they give in to burning passion. Sometimes opposites are perfect for each other. James is everything her damaged soul could want. His kisses are intoxicating, his touch out of this world. He makes her forget. He grants her peace from her pain. But as they grow closer, Serena discovers she isn’t the only one with a past. James carries the scars of a past much darker than hers. One that has left him damaged, hurt, and wary of love. A past that gives him the power to shatter her. Now James and Serena must find a way to mend one another. Or risk losing each other forever.