Book picks similar to
Fail to Fight by Maci Dillon
romance
second-chance
contemporary
rom
Bent Not Broken
Julia Goda - 2015
Out of survival she has created walls around her to keep anyone from getting too close. Though she lives in her dream house in the Rocky Mountains and loves being the owner of the town's quirky little bookstore Serendipity, her life is narrow and governed by strict rules that she never deviates from…until Cal Bennett enters her life. For the past nine years Calvin “Cal” Bennett has stayed away from Ivey, thinking she deserved better than to be saddled with a single dad who has never been good at relationships. Until a few chance encounters show him what he’s been missing and he can’t stay away any longer. Little does he know he’s got a fight on his hands that he might not be equipped to win. Shadows from Ivey's past lurk in the dark, ready to strike and bring her low once and for all. But Cal swears he will do whatever it takes to break through that wall of steel to win Ivey’s heart and keep her safe.
Love in a Small Town
Zoe York - 2014
The demands of his double career—as a police officer and military reservist—were a dealbreaker when they were together. And he’s thrilled for her when she lands a new job with a film company, but it comes with a deadline: when she finishes this project, she’s leaving town for good.Olivia has no reason to stay in Rafe’s tiny hometown, where the only job she could find was waiting tables in the local diner. But she couldn’t move on until she figured out what she wanted next in life. Now she’s been tasked with the unlikely role of ambassador for a town that has done nothing but break her heart, and discovering unexpected surprises at every turn.They aren’t the same young kids who rushed into marriage the first time. But as summer slides into fall, Rafe sets out to prove he’s a changed man before he loses her forever.***This is a second edition, revised and expanded for 2020; the first edition was published in 2014.
Locked In
Anna Chastain - 2017
They are in love, with each other, and their two children. They’ve spent their entire adult life together, happy in the small southern California beach town they call home; until one day Ben comes home and tells Grace he’s leaving. Now Grace is left wondering what happened to her life, to her home, and when exactly did things start to go so wrong. To find out, she turns to the place she didn’t even realize she was missing, the place she grew up, and the place she still considers home. With the help of her family and friends and the ocean, Grace begins to rebuild her life and remind herself where it is she truly wants to be…and, whether or not that life includes her husband. Locked In is a story about love and forgiveness, about riding the waves of life, and it is about how we continually reshape ourselves but never really feel grown up.
Ryan's Kiss
Mel Walker - 2019
That damn kiss. one kiss that not only destroyed our future but ended my ability to believe, to trust, to love.He was my best friend. We should have known better.Three years kept us apart, yet an invisible rope continues to tug at us. He’s finally returning home and I know it’ll only be a matter of time before we must face each other again. I’m older, stronger, wiser and no longer the starry-eyed girl who followed his every command.He almost destroyed me last time, I won't give him a second chance. I can't.
Jax
Kelly Gendron - 2015
You gotta be careful who you play with…” ~ Jax DeclanI’m a tease, always have been. In my teens, Jax Declan tried to warn me about staying away from the bad boys. The only boy I ever wanted was Jax. But, no matter how much I tried to play with him, he rejected me. I haven’t seen Jax Declan in years. A couple friends and I are going back to the Bayou for the summer. A little older now, and a bit wiser, I’ve decided that I’m going to find my teenage crush and I’m going to break him. This summer Jax Declan will play with me. But the closer I get and the more I learn about the reserved, discreet, and sexy Jax Declan. Well, I’m starting to think that Jax Declan might just be one of those bad boys he tried to warn me about all those years ago.
Walking Heartbreak
Sunniva Dee - 2015
My bestie, Zoe, talked me into going to the concert. It was just one show. Neither of us could have foreseen the rest. “Meet Bo Lindgren, the most coveted bad boy of Indie Rock.”—Fan Chicks, February Edition. Rock god. Legend. Prodigy. Pale winter eyes that seared you to the bone. First, he zeroed in on me from the stage. Next, he shook the hell out of my lonesome world. “Bo Lindgren leaves own concert with dark-haired beauty.”—Tabloid Minute, Thursday Edition One night with a rock star would have been fine. But Bo felt my darkness, my secrets, my guilt, and his heart wasn’t as empty as people thought. Fast, I became his muse. Too soon, he craved more than I could give. There was nothing I wanted more than his love, but if I surrendered, I’d be giving up my normal, my reality, my… Jude. “Did waitress Nadia Vidal inspire Bo Lindgren’s viral smash hit, ‘F*ck You’?”—Star Gossip, April Edition This is a standalone in the Rock Gods Collection.
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.
Closer
Mary Elizabeth - 2016
Teller Reddy is wrecked. Misery loves company, and that’s exactly what Ella gets the afternoon her path crosses with Teller’s: the misunderstood premed student who instantly becomes her lifeline when she moves to Los Angeles, an attempt at escaping her heartbreaking past. In the beginning, Lonely and Defensive complete each other. But in the end, their relationship is like broken glass—cutthroat and jagged. Calling it off before they kill each other, Ella and Teller decide to “just be friends” despite the intensity that binds them together. It’s a delicate foundation rocked by tragedy, effectively destroying the illusion they’ve so carefully built. Unable to deny what’s between them any longer, this is what happens when wrecked and damaged collide and close is still not close enough.
Cut So Deep
Stasia Black - 2017
“Tell me. Are you?”Jackson Vale. My boss’s rival and the man I’ve thought far too much about since we were introduced last week.Of all the— “I’m not his,” I sputter indignantly. “I’m just his employee. He doesn’t own me.”And for some reason this sets off a flare of intensity and… satisfaction? in Jackson’s expression. That’s it, I officially give up trying to understand any of this.But then Jackson leans over and speaks so softly in my ear I can barely hear it above the falling rain. “If you belonged to me, Miss Cruise, you wouldn’t look so disgusted. True ownership goes both ways. I would own you, but you’d own me, too. A concept I’m sorry to say Bryce Gentry’s never understood.” My breath hitches and I pull back from the intimacy of his voice on my ear, only to get lost in the dark blue of his eyes.“Let me go,” I whisper. He does, but before he turns to go, those brooding eyes pierce me one last time. “I’ll be seeing you again soon.” And then he turns and is gone into the rain-soaked street, leaving me behind, breathless and confused.Warning: Contains triggers and dark themes which may be distressing to some readers.
Cabin 1
Amanda McKinney - 2019
On the one-year anniversary of his father’s death, Gage had only two things in mind—endless whiskey and endless women, but what he got was a battered, bruised spitfire stumbling through the woods in the middle of the night.Newly-appointed prosecutor and unapologetic workaholic, Niki Avery had spent her life working toward one goal—never to have to depend on anyone but herself… until the day she was brutally attacked on the side of the road. Stripped of her Louis Vuitton and her dignity, the fiercely independent ADA must submit to being under the watchful eye of a former Marine, a loose cannon with a temper as scorching as his ruggedly handsome good looks. As cracks begin to show in the Steele family, including newly discovered evidence that their father’s death was no accident, Gage wrestles with his growing feelings for his client, knowing not only that Niki is off-limits, but together, they were like gasoline and fire—an explosion he wanted nothing more than to ignite in the bedroom. But when a pair of bloody body parts show up at the compound, it becomes clear that Niki’s attacker hasn’t given up and Gage realizes he’ll do anything to keep her safe… even as his own family is spiraling out of control.Cabin 1 is the first book in the 3-part Berry Springs spinoff series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY—and is its darker, grittier, steamier partner. Enjoy. ;)
His Best Friend's Little Sister
Vivian Wood - 2017
I’m struggling through burnout and hiding out from the entire world.When we both hide out at the same cabin far away from everyone else, a mutual attraction blooms between us.I know it’s wrong, but it’s impossible to stop touching her once I start. And worse, I don’t want to let her go...
Drawn
Lilliana Anderson - 2013
And a friendship, so strong and loving that it will wait through anything.
In the end, you as the reader will be asked to make a choice. Aaron, or Damien. Light, or dark. There are two endings to this story, and only YOU can decide. Enter the world of Etta, in Drawn.Have you ever felt so drawn to someone, that you will put up with anything to be with them? That’s how I feel when I’m around him. Most of the time, I want to hate him. I want to stay as far away from him as possible. He’s so cocky, and arrogant. And he gets in the way and tells me what to do. He’s all things that I normally detest in a man. But, when we’re alone… I can’t even think for myself – the pull is that intense. I know I should run, I know I should stay away. But I can’t. I don’t know if I’m strong enough. What do you do when you just can’t stay away? Even when you know you should…***Content warning*** This is not your typical romance. This is an erotic thriller about an obsessive relationship between two people who struggle to maintain their control around each other. Its advised that readers be over 18 years of age before reading this novel due to sexual content and adult situations, including violence and abusive themes.
Captivated
Emily Jane Trent - 2013
He’s a romantic Italian on vacation, surfing at Ella’s beach. But the gorgeous billionaire has secrets. Ella feels like she’s known him forever, but fears she will lose him. Can you meet your soul mate, only to lose him in the same instant?
Adam shouldn't involve Ella in the evil he must face in Brazil. But will he stay away from her?
Ella Walker, still suffering from issues of mental abuse, turns twenty-one and meets the man of her dreams. Can she break the bonds of her emotional prison and be the woman he desires? As an aspiring romance author, Ella struggles to find passion in her work. When Adam Bianci, the gorgeous Italian billionaire appears in her life, he lights up her drab existence. She’s determined not to let him slip through her grasp. But will his secrets and the tangled web of his own abuse keep them apart?
Crashing Back Down
Kristen Hope Mazzola - 2013
Her late husband, Randy, left for the Army right after their wedding. Instead of celebrating his homecoming and living in marital bliss with her soulmate, Mags finds herself living in constant agony. Dealing with the guilt of still living without Randy, are Randy's best friends and parents. Rising from the ashes of this tragedy, Mags starts to learn how to love and trust again, finally being able to find happiness. But sometimes things really are too good to be true and again Mags learns how cruel the world can be as she crashes back down.**18+ for sexual situations, cursing, and adult content.***