Book picks similar to
Brief Encounters by Scarlett Hopper
romance
sports
new-adult
contemporary
The Music Box
Heather Meyer - 2013
In hopes of finding it, she escapes the city and settles in a small South Carolina town to write his story. There, she meets Matt, a young man struggling to come to grips with his own father’s legacy.Despite a growing attraction, she keeps him at arm’s length until the tune from a tiny music box reveals a common bond that pulls them together and sets them on a journey of discovery that will challenge everything she believes about herself and about the man she thought couldn’t possibly exist.
With a Twist
Staci Hart - 2015
She’s spent six years pirouetting and pliéing her way up the ranks of the New York Ballet with her eye on the prize and love in the back seat. But now that Blane Baker -- Lily’s long time crush -- is finally single, she’ll throw her rules out the window without thinking twice. Reality with Blane isn’t as epic as the fantasy she imagined, and the truth sends her spinning straight into the arms of the man she never knew she’d always wanted. West Williams has been friends with Lily since the day she moved into their building and he saved her armoire from a swift, sudden death by staircase. Their friendship has always been easy, the boundaries clearly defined. With neither of them willing to risk their relationship, they’ve drifted happily through the years as companions, never considering more. That is, until they do. And that realization changes everything.
The Rules of Regret
Megan Squires - 2013
Her boyfriend of six years just left for a high-powered summer internship, though in reality he’s been absent for much longer than that. This newfound freedom wasn’t a part of Darby’s plans, but as she’s come to discover, plans only exist on paper, not in reality.And guys like Torin Westbrook aren’t supposed to exist in reality, either. But he does, with his disheveled curly hair, irresistible dimples, and endearingly quirky habit of reciting quotes from classic movies and ancient thinkers. When Darby meets Torin as a fellow counselor at the survival camp she impulsively applies to, she’s certain his main goal is to turn her world upside-down. But Darby’s not sure she can adapt to Torin’s ways of viewing his past and the tragedies he's faced. Because she’s had her own share of heartache, too, and as much as she wants to believe that it’s all been for a purpose, her grief hasn’t allowed her to get to that point. Yet the more Darby is around Torin, the more she craves the freedom to break out of her carefully constructed routine and mindset and fall into something new. She’s just not sure that she should be falling for Torin along the way.(The Rules of Regret is a non-explicit, young/new adult romance.)
The Redeemed Groom
Taylor Hart - 2018
Since his mother passed away and his girlfriend left him, his inspiration is shot. While on a run, he witnesses what appears to be a young woman who needs help and he finds himself hopping on a Greyhound Bus headed for Las Vegas. Hope Jones is in danger, but she does not need a celebrity super star around. When Sloane tells her a completely untrue story about running from a stalker, her nurturing side nags at her to help. Too bad he made the whole thing up! Offended, she tells him to take a long walk in the desert and leave her alone. After, reluctantly, sharing dinner with him at a bus stop, breaking down in Rawlin’s, Wyoming, and hypothesizing about having thirteen children and living in a broken down fire station together, she finds herself more intrigued with the famous Country Music Star. When her ex-fiance tracks her down and puts both of their lives in jeopardy, Hope has to make a choice—trust in Sloane or lose everything.
Without Warning
Dee Lagasse - 2018
A pint-sized spitfire with a take-no-crap attitude, her focus had always been soccer, music, family, and friends. Chase Merrimack loved football more than anything. With dreams of playing professionally, there was only enough room in his heart for his momma and his little brother. That is, until Hollis quite literally stumbled into his life, changing both of them forever. From the very beginning, Hollis and Chase, along with their friends and family, knew their connection was the kind that only came around once in a lifetime. “Soul mates,” they said. But no matter how strong the pull was, Hollis and Chase avoided their feelings. And they for sure never spoke of them...until the day they did. Without Warning is the story of Hollis Capparelli and Chase Merrimack, their friendship and the universal pull that kept bringing them back together.
One & Only
Viv Daniels - 2013
Tess McMann lives her life according to the secrets she's sworn to keep: the father who won't acknowledge her, the sister who doesn't know she exists, and the mother who's content playing mistress to a prominent businessman. When she meets the distractingly cute Dylan Kingsley at a prestigious summer program and falls in love, Tess allows herself to imagine a life beyond these secrets. But when summer ends, so does their relationship -- Dylan heads off to Canton College while Tess enrolls at the state university. One love they can't ignore... Two years later, a scholarship brings Tess to Canton and back into Dylan's life. Their attraction is as strong as ever, but Dylan has a girlfriend…who also happens to be Tess's legitimate half-sister. Tess refuses to follow in her mother's footsteps, which leaves her only one choice: break the rules she’s always followed, or allow Dylan to slip away for a second time. ...And only one chance to get things right.
Adam
Anna Castor - 2021
And the former snowboard star has his eyes set on her.As an Olympic gold medalist on the half-pipe, Adam Mills has seen and done it all before. He's finally ready to give his heart to a woman and settle down. But can Adam win over Caitlin's heart? All Winter Peaks books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series.Although the heroine, Caitlin, comes from the Lucky Irish series, it's not required to read those books first.
Off Sides
Sawyer Bennett - 2013
Maybe it was the impossible expectations I faced, maybe it was my own self-loathing. But I just knew I needed something different to happen. I needed someone... something... to derail me from my current path. Otherwise, I would become lost... a hollowed out shell of a man. So I did it. I approached her, then I pursued her, then I made her mine. And my life was saved...”Ryan Burnham is the privileged son of a U.S. Congressman and captain of his university’s hockey team. While he is on the verge of fulfilling his dreams to play in the NHL, his parents want him on a different course. One he is expected to accept for the sake of his family’s public image.Forced her to abandon her music career after the heart breaking death of her parents, Danny Cross exists on the opposite side of the tracks from Ryan. She is struggling to make her own way, working two jobs, attending college part time and volunteering in a homeless shelter. She is on a mission to build her own success.With a chance meeting, their vastly different worlds collide, causing each to evaluate whether they are truly on the correct path to self-fulfillment and happiness. Can their relationship survive? Particularly when others are against them every step of the way. A lot can happen in just ten short days...
Open Lanes
Mary Morano - 2021
I messed up my chance once before but now I have a second chance. Just like on the ice, I will do anything I can to win. This time I’m playing for keeps.NicoleHe tortured me through High School, followed me across the country to college, and now I am stuck in a car with him for five long days. All I want to do is get home and go back to pretending he doesn’t exist. If only my stupid hormones would get on board with the plan.
Live Like You Mean It
Ava Stone - 2015
But when he meets single mom, Leah Willett who is struggling to put herself through school, his outlook on life and his future start to change. Leah falls hard and fast for Brody, even though she knows that a guy like him can never be who she needs at the end of the day. But she can't help herself. He makes life exciting for the first time in forever. But does she love him too much to keep him from his dreams?
Billionaire Hotshot—Levi: A Modern Cinderella Retelling
Scarlett Avery - 2021
No names.I’ve never regretted anything more in my life because God knows I’d sell my soul to know his name...It all started with a ball…I never believed you could fall for someone at first sight until I locked eyes with him… a stranger who quickly becomes an addiction––a man I don’t want to walk away from.Just like Cinderella, my time with my prince is measured in breaths.Forced to return to the shipwreck that is my life, I escape in the shadows of the night, my heart bleeding, leaving behind the one man who ignited my body and my soul…Life is unfair. I should know.I don’t even know his name…
Just Like Breathing
Diana Gardin - 2018
"Diana Gardin has proven why she's my new, go-to Romance author." - #1 New York Times Bestselling author Rachel van Dyken Her broken pieces are the only thing holding him together... Arden One moment, one twist of fate’s cruel hand--and I lost everything. My soul broke into a million pieces I didn’t know how to put back together... until him. He dragged me through hell and brought me back. But when he saw the person behind the destruction, he hesitated. Flash It didn’t take more than a few seconds for the life I knew to crash and burn. With no anchor, I reached out. I didn’t expect to grab onto someone more broken than me... But when she exhaled the first breath of air into my lungs, I knew damn well I wasn’t good enough for her. The only question was how long could I hold on?
Love Notes
Heather Gunter - 2013
And when you are left to face your demons alone, will you learn that only you have the power to overcome them?Charlie has never had it easy. Between the constant moving and the incessant fat comments and jokes from her father, her self-worth is nonexistent. Her reflection in the mirror shows her nothing but a plain Jane. Music is the only thing that keeps her sanity in check.Charlie catches the eye of the town star quarterback, Maverick. With her curves, her brunette hair, and the voice of an angel, Maverick has never met anyone like her. Everything that is different about Charlie just makes Maverick like her more. Unfortunately, Charlie doesn’t see it herself.Proving it to her may deem harder than he thinks, especially when tragedy strikes and tears them apart.Now standing on her own two feet she may finally learn exactly who she is, what’s she’s capable of and how very un plain Jane she really is.
These Days Series
Renee Ericson - 2014
One boy. A chance meeting, a tragedy, and a second chance. Two people trying to figure themselves out, only to find each other. Follow one couple's trials of love and life in this unique Contemporary Romance journey that begins in high school and progresses to adulthood. Their story is nothing like those in fairy tales, but their love is. These Days is the compilation of After Tuesday, Forgotten Yesterday, and Deciding Tomorrow. *Series contains explicit language, sex, and mature themes. Recommended for readers 18+.
Always in My Heart
Rachael Brownell - 2015
For years she tried to move on, but no one compared to Luke. No kiss, no man, even came close.The heart wants what it wants, and Reagan’s heart is willing to wait for Luke. For as long as it takes.