Book picks similar to
Saving Toby by Suzanne McKenna Link


new-adult
romance
freebie
contemporary-romance

Every Little Piece


Kate Ashton - 2013
    A story of love, hope and healing.** Needing the truth… I wanted to spend the night before graduation making out with Seth, but one of my best friends had the whole night planned. Lucky for me, we ran into him and his friends playing pool where we made some silly bet over a game, and the losers had to run through town in nothing but their underwear. A year later, I wish more than ever we’d just made out at Raker’s Bluff instead, because maybe the night would’ve turned out differently. Now Seth’s back, the guy who broke my heart, the guy I’m still in love with…I just hope he doesn’t break me all over again. Desperate for redemption… No one wants to fess up to having a screwed-up family. When my parents dropped the big divorce bomb on me, I decided to keep it a secret. Just the thought of the pity-stares and pats-on-the-back made me feel sick. I’d tell Haley and my friends another time. Except, I never got the chance. Stuff happened. Stuff that totally sucked and changed our lives forever. Instead of telling my truth, I took the coward’s way out, and I’ve regretted it ever since. But I’m back, determined to tell Haley everything, down to the last gritty detail, if she’ll give me the chance…even if it means losing her forever.

Game of Gods


Staci Hart - 2013
    Just don’t ask her to figure out her own heart. Instead, she toys with the hearts of humans. It’s a little game the gods play, and this time it’s Aphrodite’s turn to defend the domain of love. The battleground is New York City, and the stakes are high—the winner receives a token, a favor the loser must fulfill. But every god has secrets. Every god lies. And no god can be trusted.Apollo is no exception. He killed Aphrodite’s love, and for that, he can never be forgiven. But Apollo is on a mission to win. For thousands of years, Aphrodite has kept him from the one he loves, but the wind has shifted, and now is his chance.God and goddess will choose their players. The clock will start. Two humans will fall in love, or they won’t—their fates are intertwined with the gods, their hearts slave to their circumstance, a slave to the game.And in this game of love, Aphrodite never loses.*Formerly titled Paper Fools

Slow Burn


V.J. Chambers - 2013
    She’d rather snort lines than think about that. She’d rather do shots of marshmallow-flavored vodka until she can’t remember.When Griffin Fawkes arrives with the news that her father’s dead, she isn’t sure if she cares. He wasn’t much of a father anyway. The only silver lining here is that Griffin’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and Leigh wants him bad.Griffin owes his life to Leigh's father. The man begged him to keep his daughter safe. But Griffin didn't expect a cocaine-fueled party girl who barely seems to care about her own safety. It seems like she'd rather destroy herself than anything else.Even worse, he didn't expect he'd care about her. He knows he's too damaged to ever really be with a woman. The best he can do is to make sure she’s safe from whoever could hurt her. Including herself. Including himself.Of course, fighting off men with guns is starting to seem easier than keeping his hands off Leigh.

Only for You


Beverley Kendall - 2012
    And she can finally put her juvenile crush, Zachary Pearson, where he belongs--in her past. Then her unrequited love strolls into her French class, shattering Olivia's newfound peace, and the feelings she'd thought buried for good come rushing back. Now she can't shake her unwanted attraction to the one guy who can twist her stomach into knots with just a smile...but has never given her the time of day.Zach's good looks may have always gotten him his pick of girls, but it's the star quarterback's skill on the football field that gives him his pick of the Big Ten colleges. To escape the crushing demands of his win-at-all-costs father, Zach opts for a private university in upstate New York where...his present and past collide. And the one girl he's always wanted but can't have--and a class trip to Paris--turn out to be the ultimate game changer that has him breaking every one of his rules.Recommended for readers +17 and upNew Adult - mature content (language & sex)

Better Than Me


Emme Burton - 2013
    Last semester ended badly, leaving her unsure about whom “Biz” really is anymore. She is determined to get through her final year with no drama and as few panic attacks as possible.The plan seems solid. Then, early in the semester, Biz is introduced to two guys at the same time. Jake is a sweet, open jazz major and unlike the guy that leveled her last year. And then there is Davis, the theatre designer. He is beautiful, dark, quiet and has eyes that render the usually over talkative Biz speechless. She makes a decision to keep any relationship she has under her control. But can she, really?

Chat


Kimberly Stedronsky Adams - 2014
    Twenty-six years later, Jason is finally ready to move on from his divorce. His ex-wife leaves behind her Kindle, and he stumbles upon Bestselling Author Carissa Steel’s latest release. After learning that she lives less than an hour from his apartment- and is single- he contacts her on Facebook. As he struggles to flirt over chat, he enlists the help of his best friend.Sandy has spent three years waiting for her boyfriend, Jack, to finally pop the question. At the same time Jason asks for her help, her world slowly begins to crumble around her. Through her pain, she continues to support her best friend, playing Cyrano to his newest conquest.As Sandy begins to chat with Jason online, she creates a safe place to explore what neither of the friends thought would ever exist between them. As lines blur and are eventually crossed, they begin to wonder if amazing sex is worth risking a lifetime of friendship.Twenty-six years… twenty-six letters.Could they have always only needed each other?

Preservation


Rachael Wade - 2012
    Constantly battling eviction notices, tuition she can’t afford, and a sick, dependent mother, the last thing she needs is to be distracted with someone else’s complicated baggage. When she stumbles into Ryan Campbell’s creative writing class, he is only “Mr. Campbell” to her, until Ryan finds himself captivated by her writing and she is forced to face their mutual attraction. His cocky know-it-all syndrome is enough to send her running in the other direction, and his posse of female admirers and playboy reputation are enough to squander any odds in her favor. But underneath Ryan’s abrasive facade is something to behold, and she can’t stay away for long. Ryan and Kate must decide who they’re willing to become and fight against their former selves if they want to make things work. That’s if academia, vicious vixens, old skeletons, and their own mastery at self-destruction don’t pummel their efforts first.

Dissident


Cecilia London - 2015
    After losing her husband, she is raising two small children alone while trying to navigate the tricky and sometimes shallow halls on Capitol Hill. A string of nasty speeches has her scrambling to apologize to any number of candidates, including newly elected Republican Jack McIntyre. Falling in love again is the last thing on her mind.Jack McIntyre might have a reputation as a playboy, but he has his sights set solely on his new colleague. Can he break through Caroline’s grief and capture her heart? Told mostly in flashback and set against a chilling fascist backdrop, Dissident is a rollercoaster ride of political intrigue, passionate contemporary romance, and undying love. For readers 18+. Ends in a cliffhanger. The first part in a six book saga.

Adam's Apple


Liv Morris - 2013
    Warning: Contains adult situations intended for readers eighteen and over."I take cocky, rich boys like you and teach them how to make love to women until they're barely able to mutter a word. Completely and utterly blissed. That's really what separates the men from the boys, Mr. Kingsley. Sex as an art form versus f**king for a release." -Kathryn.Adam Kingsley reigns as the young prince of Manhattan. Everything he touches turns to gold, making him the envy of Wall Street. Women swoon at his feet, money is no object, and his killer good looks are as wicked as sin. A dangerous trifecta that allows him to possess anything or anyone he desires.What more could a thirty-two-year-old man wish for? Maybe that his life never changes and his murky past stays far away... Sounds reasonable, yet life seldom is.Kathryn Delcour is an alluring socialite with unique erotic tastes who helps others find true sexual fulfillment. When she suddenly appears on the New York City social scene, Adam finds this complex woman too tempting to resist. He will stop at nothing to have her, yet she is warned to stay away from him and his player ways. Kathryn tries to keep him at arm's length, but her arms may not be strong enough to hold the charismatic Adam Kingsley at bay.The passionate lure of ancient sexual practices, a past that isn't content to remain buried and a present filled with intrigue, danger and revenge. An erotic story sweetened with secrets, seduction, and suspense.

Beyond Control


Karice Bolton - 2013
    With a brilliant job in the corporate world, glamorous parties, and a beautiful condo overlooking Seattle, she is thrown into a world she doesn't want to claim. It's not until Jason crashes into her world that she realizes she's not really living. Facing his own demons, Jason attempts to piece his life back together after a personal tragedy. Damaged by his ghosts, Jason finally begins to forgive himself whenever Gabby's around. She makes him feel--alive, something he hasn't felt for a long time.It's only as their love grows and secrets are revealed that they realize a devastating connection from their past might actually tear them apart.------Dear reader:I hope you enjoy reading Gabby and Jason's story as much as I loved writing it. This is a completed story of Jason and Gabby and is the first in a new series. However, the book does end with a new story just beginning surrounding another couple, who I've gotten the joy of writing about. Their story continues in Beyond Doubt and is out now!Again, thank you for taking the time to read the first in the Beyond Love Series, and I hope you enjoy!~Karice

Never Forget


Emma Hart - 2013
    That is, until she reconnects with her childhood friend, Jen, and meets Alec Johnson.Alec is the kind of guy Lexy knows she needs to stay away from. He's the village flirt, ridiculously hot and very dangerous to her self control. But there's a problem – she can't seem to keep him out, even though she knows he'll break her heart.As Alec slowly strips away Lexy's defences and the two embark on a summer romance she never wanted, their feelings grow to more than either expected. But nothing lasts forever, and reality intrudes.As her world is shaken to it's core, Lexy's self made prediction comes true when she discovers she's spent six weeks surrounded by secrets. Kept out by her family and the only guy she's ever trusted, she falls apart.And when Grammy tells her that 'you might not end up where you wanted to be, but you'll always end up where you're meant to be,' she has to figure out if her meant to be is back home in London, or if it's been in Devon the whole time.

When You Come To Me


Jade Alyse - 2011
    Sure it seems simple in the grand scheme of things. After all, she's got her family supporting her, and family is all that matters. She is ostracized in her dorm for being just a little bit quiet and a little bit conservative. But that doesn't bother her…initially. Her roommate is loud and wild and white, drinks beer and has sex with her boyfriend. They are polar opposites in every sense of the word. But when Natalie decides to accompany her roommate to a house party off-campus in a cozy house of blue siding, her world is turned upside down the moment that she's knocked unconscious with a flying beer bottle. Yes, you read that correctly. When she comes to (in more ways than one) she is face to face with Brandon Greene, a preppy, oatmeal-skinned New Yorker, with a loud mouth, a grand smile and an open heart. Brandon makes his intentions clear from the beginning: he is hopelessly in love with his girlfriend, Sophia, but does not want to marry her. He does, however, want to be friends with Natalie.Neither Brandon nor her curiosity about him make sense to her at all, and her sense of complacency begins to tumble as she and Brandon grow closer. She's thrust into a love triangle that she wants no part of and suddenly, a streamlined future to success in the medical field is the last thing on her mind — all she sees now is a shade of gray. Brandon and Natalie have a powerful dynamic; but can it stand the weight that time, spatial disparity and color have placed on them? "When You Come to Me" is a sometimes humorous, sometimes dramatic take on the loss of innocence in its most colorful form.

Always Beautiful


M.K. Oien - 2013
    Breaking your nose, blackening your eyes, and making you second guess everything you’ve spent your entire life working toward. Do you ignore that ball and continue in the direction of security and stability? Or do you throw caution to the wind, follow your heart, and potentially become so damaged that you’ll never recover?Lucky Harris is a twenty-one-year-old college graduate embarking on an adventure to Portland, Oregon to continue medical school. She has a passion and drive to follow her dreams in the medical field. Her entire life has been carefully constructed with good grades, cautious behavior, and focusing solely on her future. That’s how it’s always been until Zeppelin Rhoades shows up on her doorstep. Literally. It’s only a matter of time before the once determined Lucky sets her sights on conquering a new goal. Spend as much time as humanly possible with Zeppelin. He’s a few years older, covered in tattoos, and lives his life one day at a time; never forgetting to enjoy the moment and take advantage of every breath he has.Experiencing an intensity she’s never known, passion she’s never felt, and a way to escape the mundane has her changing her once solid foundation. But seasons change and so do people. When she discovers Zeppelin is hiding something from her, those walls she let fall so easily begin to build back up. Zeppelin finally reveals his devastating secret and Lucky is left with two choices. Walk away and forget him entirely or take his hand and follow him into the darkness and sorrow.

Thursday Nights


Lisa N. Paul - 2013
    But when fate brings two weak souls together, will the love they find mend the fragments that are barely holding them together, or will the weight of their past finally cause them to crumble?Max DeLucca has spent seven years trying to forget the betrayal of his past. He lives his life from day to day never looking forward and never looking back. The walls around his heart keep anyone from getting too close and prevent him from feeling too much…until he meets her.Her entire life, Janie Silver searched for the kind of love that wouldn’t leave her broken and more importantly, wouldn't leave her behind. She longs for a love that can heal the wounds of her past and give her the future she knows she deserves. She thought she was looking for something that just didn’t exist…until she meets him.Danny’s on Main is where their story begins. A neighborhood bar where strangers become friends, friends become family and some … become lovers… it all started on Thursday Nights

Hope Over Fear


J.A. DeRouen - 2014
    I don’t deserve pity or sympathy. I’ve made my bed. I left Mason and ripped his heart to pieces as I ran away. The guilt and sorrow consume me, threatening to choke me everyday.But today is a new beginning. Today is the day I will wake up with a renewed resolve and determination to do better … to be better … to be worthy. My name is Sara Preston, and this is my story about what happens after.