Book picks similar to
Through It All by Ashley Beale
romance
new-adult
stand-alone-contemporary
emotional
Contessa
Lori L. Otto - 2012
As she grew up, her parents made good decisions for her, raising “Livvy” to be an intelligent and creative young girl. Now sixteen, three people influence many of her choices: her first love, her second father, and a third man who speaks to her through his artwork.Livvy’s father is practical and steadfast; even-tempered and quietly observant. She’s an artist who acts on her emotions and thrives on attention. Unhappy with their differences– and misunderstanding her father’s methods– Livvy chooses to focus on the similarities she shares with an enigmatic painter from her mother’s past. Her overactive imagination leads her down an obsessive path– one that only stands to hurt everyone around her.The distraction of a new boyfriend has the potential to end her search and reunite her family, but his involvement in her life could be just as devastating, taking Livvy away from her father for good.Mature YA for limited sensual content.
The Darkest Part
Trisha Wolfe - 2013
She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her. New Adult Contemporary coming this year.
The Disenchantments
Nina LaCour - 2012
But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall. But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next? Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.
Forever Young
Sawyer Bennett - 2013
It’s a gift Charlie Wright inherited the night her parents were brutally murdered when she was fourteen years old.Now in her last year of high school, Charlie just can’t seem to keep herself out of trouble. Rather than taking a one-way trip to juvenile detention, Charlie chooses to join a mysterious group called The ForeverLand Alliance.And then her life really gets weird.Charlie finds herself magically transported to an alternate universe. In Semper Terra, no one ages, people fly, and one stunningly gorgeous, immortal man manages to capture Charlie’s heart and awaken the adult woman she is becoming.But it’s not all fun and games. For Charlie is training to become an Annihilator, a select group of Semper Terrans who protect mankind from all of those things that go “bump in the night”.It’s only when Charlie finds herself stuck in the middle of a prophecy that could bring about the end of the world that she truly begins to understand the deep sacrifices she will have to make.
For You
Mimi Strong - 2013
My mother always said to stay away from boys with ink, but she ignored her own advice. She also abandoned me and my little sister.Life's been hard for the two of us, on the run and on our own, but I just turned twenty-one and started working at a bar in a new city. I wear a fake wedding band and a veil of lies.My gold ring didn't stop Sawyer. He looked into me with his heavenly green eyes, and I nearly forgot my pretty lies. Now he wants to help me get my life together.I should stay away, because he could blow my cover. When we get found—and I know one day we will—I want my sister to be old enough to handle the truth about our past.I may be hanging out with Sawyer, but we're definitely not dating. I swear, he's not setting me on fire with every glance or casual touch. We're just friends. I'm not thinking about him wrapping those tattooed arms around me, every second of every day.Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance.
Regret Me Not
Danielle Sibarium - 2014
She regrets letting her grades slip while her sister was in rehab, ensuring she’ll never break away from the rumor-run, small town she lives in. She regrets breaking up with her future All American football playing boyfriend, Brayden Turner out of fear of getting hurt. Most of all she regrets every decision she made leading up to the night that changed her life forever. It’s only after Brayden cuts her off completely that Mackenzie realizes how much she wants him in her life. Can Mackenzie find the courage to learn from her mistakes and move forward or will she spend her days consumed with regrets? Is it too late to convince Brayden she wants him in her life and that she’s in it for the long haul? Most of all, can she accept that sometimes bad things happen no matter how hard you try to protect yourself from them? Can she put it all behind her or will she live an unfulfilled life full of regrets?
Out of Reach
Carrie Arcos - 2012
He struggles with addiction, but she tells herself that he’s in control. And she almost believes it. Until the night that Micah doesn’t come home.Rachel’s terrified—and she can’t help but feel responsible. She should have listened when Micah tried to confide in her. And she only feels more guilt when she receives an anonymous note telling her that Micah is nearby and in danger.With nothing more to go on than hope and a slim lead, Rachel and Micah’s best friend, Tyler, begin the search. Along the way, Rachel will be forced to confront her own dark secrets, her growing attraction to Tyler…and the possibility that Micah may never come home.
Break You
Jennifer Snyder - 2013
She prefers things to be as uncomplicated as possible -- but when her friends drag her to a party and she bumps into her high school crush, the path of Blaire’s life veers in an entirely different direction than what she had planned for herself. Jason Bryant created a nice life away from his hometown, putting distance between himself and the suffocating sadness of his father’s death. But when he finds out his grandfather’s health is deteriorating, he decides he must return home. Partying was not on his agenda while in town, but it’s how he bumps into Blaire Hayes—the girl he’d always thought of in high school as an unobtainable pass. Together the two learn there are moments in life that hold within them all the power to break you... (New Adult: Contains sexual situations, language, mature themes, and alcohol usage.)
Your Voice Is All I Hear
Leah Scheier - 2015
I was the one he loved, the only one who believed him, even when his own mother had locked him up and thrown away the key.And now, I was going to pass down the white tiled hallway, knock on his doctor’s office door, slam his secret notebook on her desk and make her read it, make her understand what he was hiding, make her see what only I had seen.April won’t let Jonah go without a fight.He’s her boyfriend—her best friend. She’ll do anything to keep him safe. But as Jonah slips into a dark depression, trying to escape the traumatic past that haunts him, April is torn. To protect Jonah, she risks losing everything: family, friends, an opportunity to attend a prestigious music school. How much must she sacrifice? And will her voice be loud enough to drown out the dissenters—and the ones in his head?
Seventeen Days
D.B. James - 2016
Working in a small coastal Alabama town for a man she barely knew wasn’t included — especially since she can’t stay away from him. Everything. After losing everyone he loves, Harrison Montgomery has given up on happiness — and love. When his path crosses with the feisty redhead’s, he can’t seem to get her off his mind. But their time together is threatened by Morgan’s plans to leave. One dare may change the future. Harrison throws down a challenge a dare that changes their lives — one Morgan accepts. But is Seventeen Days really enough to fall in love? Can they find a home in one another, or will the storms of the past pull them under?
Uncharted
Julie Johnson - 2018
“When we crash-landed on the island, I thought my story was over. Turns out, it was about to begin.” He was an asshole from the first moment we met. I took one look at the stranger in the airport terminal and knew he was exactly the kind of man my mother spent seventeen years warning me against. Gruff, grumpy, and far too good-looking to stare at without experiencing heart palpitations. Thankfully, I’d never see him again. Or so I thought. I couldn’t have known our plane would crash. I couldn’t have predicted we’d be the only survivors. I couldn’t have ever, in my wildest dreams, anticipated that the asshole from the airport would become my only source of solace in the darkness. It’s so wrong to want him, for so many reasons. But as the months slip by and our hopes of rescue grow dimmer… the spark between us kindles into something impossible to ignore. Sometimes, survival requires swimming in uncharted waters.But if salvation doesn’t come soon…I might just drown in him. ** UNCHARTED is a full-length story of survival and forbidden love. Due to action elements, adult language, and sexual content, it is recommended for readers ages 16 and up. **
The Valentine's Arrangement
Kelsie Leverich - 2013
Ronnie doesn’t do romance. She doesn’t do flowers or dates, and she sure as hell doesn’t do love—not anymore. Love leads to heartbreak, and she’s vowed never to let herself get hurt again. Sergeant First Class Kale Emerson is home on his mid-tour leave from Iraq, but he only has one thing on his mind—returning to his soldiers to finish leading their mission. He’s dedicated to his men and to his country, and he’s not interested in getting wrapped up in a distracting relationship…but casual sex, that’s a different story. From the moment he sees Ronnie, he wants her. And he agrees to her terms—no romance, no fluff—just passion. But as their sexual chemistry ignites, the lines of their arrangement get blurry, and Ronnie starts to push Kale away. And when Kale realizes he’s found his match in this razor-tongued, gorgeous woman who is hell bent against love, winning her heart could be the toughest battle he has ever fought.
Life in Reverse
Beth Michele - 2016
Vance... Sometimes life throws you a curveball. Ember Bennett was mine.My nemesis. My downfall. And I never saw her coming.She didn't burst into my life, demanding to be noticed. Instead, she slipped in under the radar when I wasn't looking. Caught me off guard.I should've been paying better attention.Because now I want her. I need her. I crave her. I just can't have her.Ember... I was minding my own business when Vance Davenport showed up.Him and his bad boy persona, his earring, his attitude.I didn't like him. But over time, he burrowed under my skin and became something I never expected... Until it all changed.Then he became someone I wanted to forget.
These Things About Us
Laura Beege - 2013
Turns out that's easier said than done. London is a pretty big city, a hundred bucks don't get you far and you can't just make your past disappear.When sweet and caring uni student Wesley gets her a job and a room in his father's pub, Tony is unprepared for his older brother Trace who despises her at first sight. She's unprepared for someone whose secrets might be darker than her own.Following a path of breadcrumbs and tangling up in Trace's past, Tony slips back into a world she thought she'd escaped the day her father went to prison.
Not Alone
Amber Nation - 2013
Everything was perfect until circumstances change and devastating blows occur.Fast forward five years, Emmalynne thinks she is broken, not only emotionally but physically as well, so her confidence was severely lacking. Being a single mother to her son, Tucker, as well as an owner of a small town Bookstore, she does everything she can to keep men at arms-length, not thinking she is worthy anymore with her plus-sized body and scars.Taking it upon themselves, Emmalynne's best friends, Toby and Tessa make it their mission to bring her out of her tight-knitted comfort zone. That is when she locks eyes on the male perfection that is Grady.Grady Finnegan was the gorgeous new guy in town. Recently injured and discharged from the Army, Grady comes to his Uncle’s aid in helping manage the family bar. Not being anywhere near innocent when it comes to women, Grady meets Emmalynne and he knows one thing, that he wants her.Sparks fly and passion ignites, but will that be enough? Not ready to lay her heart on the line, Emmalynne guards it as best she can and ultimately fails. When chaos erupts and Grady's past comes back to haunt him, it leaves Emmalynne's already broken heart, shattered. Will past circumstances prevent Emmalynne from having the future she deserves? Or can Grady help her follow her heart and show her that she is Not Alone.