Book picks similar to
Brief Encounters by Scarlett Hopper
romance
sports
new-adult
contemporary
Faster
Deana Birch - 2018
The junior producer knows she's dodged a bullet. Because, despite his melt-your-heart chocolate eyes and rising fame, Jake Riley is not boyfriend material. And those messages he sends in the middle of the night get filed under, "drunk text, best to ignore," without delay.Twelve grueling years of paying dues has finally resulted in a hit song for Jake. But, knowing the new zeroes in his bank account come with as many ways to blow it, he craves stability. So, stocked with an arsenal of charm and a reminder of what happened against her front door, he persuades Louana to see him again the next time he's in town. Now, certain he's found the calm to his storm, he asks her for the previously unthinkable-monogamy.
The Future of Our Past
Kahlen Aymes - 2012
Each of them fight an internal battle unwilling to risk their incredible friendship but unable to quell their deep longing for the other. On the verge of his departure to medical school and to her new job on the opposite coast, Ryan and Julia are forced to face the undeniable truth of their deeper feelings.*For readers 17+ due to explicit language and sexual situations.*
Shattered Hearts
Octavia Wildwood - 2014
Alone. Damaged. After escaping an abusive relationship, Amanda finds work on a remote farm in rural Minnesota. Eager for a fresh start, she tries to will her nightmares away. She also tries to stop daydreaming about her hot boss's hard, chiseled body. She doesn't like him, but he's sure easy on the eyes.Stubborn. Proud. Protective.Hardworking and hard-headed, Nate is determined to save his family's farm and provide for his sister. The last thing he needs is some city girl getting underfoot. Sure, Amanda is a breath of fresh air (and the prettiest little thing he's ever seen) but there's no way he'd ever admit it. Nate doesn't do romance...but he can't stop thinking about doing Amanda!*This is a full-length, standalone novel that contains explicit adult situations.
Whiskey Wild
Jessica Mills - 2021
My twin brother got himself into an impossible situation and who saves his bacon? Me. I go into a job interview pretending to be him, and lo and behold, the most beautiful girl in the world is the one hiring for the job. Giving her my all isn’t hard, until I get the position. I’m a farmer. My brother is the guy trying to make it up a ladder, but now we’re stuck. It would be too damn obvious that he’s not me and I’m not him. So I’m stuck. But it’s not all that bad. The girl of my dreams is in need of a real cowboy to teach her the ropes. And I’m the guy for the job. Unfortunately, pretending to be a nicer version of my evil twin catches up with me. Those little white fibs always do. Now she’s questioning my trust and walking away from what could possibly be the best decision of both our lives. Time to show this sweet little thang the man she’s yet to meet—the real me.
Kinda Hate You
Allie Everhart - 2019
Just the sight of him gets my blood boiling.Problem is, I'm best friends with his sister so it's hard to avoid him. And now we're going to the same college.He's also giving me swimming lessons but I have no idea why. I swear he's only doing it so he can drown me.I really hate him.I hate the smirk on his face.I hate his gorgeous blue eyes. His dark tan. His muscular arms.I hate the way my stomach flutters when he touches me in the pool.And most of all? I hate that I'm starting to like him.Me liking Cal? That was never supposed to happen.
Guarded Dreams
L.J. Evans - 2019
He’s got a five-year plan, his future in the Coast Guard, and friends who always have his back.And then
Ava Abrams
breezes into his life one summer day and tempts him in ways he can’t shake.A free spirit, Ava’s on the run, heading in the direction of her dreams. She's set her heart on Juilliard and country music stardom, not a happily ever after with a man she’s just met. Still, there’s something about Eli’s commanding presence that demands her soul take note.Just as they start to fall, her past forces them into a goodbye that leaves only the memories of a fairytale summer and the bitter taste of what could have been. Four years later, Eli stumbles into a bar with Ava on stage. And once again, she’s like a siren calling to him. Will he make the same mistake and let her slip away? Or will he build a new dream with her at its center?Inspired by Luke Bryan’s “Sunrise, Sunburn Sunset,” comes a slow burn, summer beach read about dreams lost and remade with vibrant characters, beautiful friendships, and families made along the way.
"Just like the moon calls the tides, she has called me home. To her."
Also available in The Anchor Novels: The Military Brothers box set with an exclusive novella.
Rae of Sunshine
Micalea Smeltzer - 2014
Then with one stupid decision everything fell apart and nothing was ever the same.Rae Wilder wants nothing but a do over—but life doesn’t work that way. She’s stuck living out the consequences of her actions. At times the burden feels unbearable. College is supposed to be her second chance. New place.New people.New life.No one to know what she did.Despite that, she has still vowed to avoid everyone and everything at all costs. Unfortunately for her, an accidental run-in with the campus heartthrob, Cade Montgomery, derails that plan. He’s determined to thaw the ice around her heart and expose the girl she used to be. He wants to show her that life is worth living for and that she really is a Rae of Sunshine.
Catch of a Lifetime
Candee Fick - 2015
She shudders at the very mention of the sport. After a tragedy involving a football player destroyed her family, athletic trainer and graduate student Cassie moves across the country looking for a fresh start, but a change in financial aid lands her in the middle of her worst nightmare. Meanwhile, rookie coach Reed worries his dream career will slip away as injuries plague his players and his star receiver teeters on the brink of ineligibility. As the two work together to salvage the season, sparks fly, and Reed must eventually choose between the game and the woman he loves.
Kings of Rittenhouse
Maya Hughes - 2018
What's the worst that could happen? Long live the Kings...
Fighting Fate (Fate, #1)
Anastasia Austin - 2019
And she isn't going to let anything get in her way. Until she repeatedly crosses paths with poster-child frat boy, Isaac Johnson. She hesitates when all he wants is a hook up. She pushes him away when he shows signs of wanting more. Then she's torn, when she finds him all alone and sick as a dog after his frat brothers abandon him for spring break. Katie should leave. Stick to her plan. Finish the project that could make or break her college career. But she can't leave him like this--to fend for himself when he can barely breathe--or ignore the connection building between them. The one she's not sure she can fight anymore.Fun and fluffy standalone with a happily ever after.Tropes you have to look forward to:*Injury (Our boy has the flu, poor thing)*Afraid to commit*FlingThis is a sweet and spicy novella intended for an adult audience.
The Tick-tock Between You and Me (Canterbury Romance #1)
Kristy Tate - 2018
Darby Elliott thinks she’s in love with her long-distance boyfriend until he arrives on her doorstep. Now, she’s not so sure about him or how to get her car and money back. Which is embarrassing, because she’s a hot-shot accountant and money isn’t supposed to slip through her fingers... or into her boyfriend’s wallet. Chad George and his girlfriend, Jessica have been together since they were kids. The trouble is, Jessica thinks Chad should convert his grandfather’s dying horse ranch into a cosmetic surgery recovery spa, and Chad thinks his grandfather should maintain the ranch as he wishes. When Chad’s grandfather hires Darby, she discovers the ranch is full of untapped potential and hidden treasures including a clock that only seems to tick when she and Chad are together. Does the clock have a hidden message? Can Darby and Chad save the ranch before time runs out? USA Today bestselling author Kristy Tate returns with another clean and wholesome romance that will be sure to warm the hearts of Hallmark movie fans. If you like sweet romances with a touch of magical realism, be sure and pick up your copy of The Tick-tock Between You and Me today. You'll never look at your clock the same way again.
Squeeze Play
Aven Ellis - 2017
Having spent a lot of her life in the background due to family circumstances, Hayley is eager to step up and be heard—and bring much needed change to her new organization. With romance on the shelf, it’s time to focus on herself and new career. Armed with a workbook to help her improve on a personal and professional level, Hayley is ready to become a better version of who she already is. But will a baseball player for the Washington Soaring Eagles challenge her thoughts on not only dating, but the person she thinks she needs to be? Brody Jensen is the new catcher for the professional team in DC. Baseball is everything to Brody and has been his salvation while growing up. Brody wants to make the most of his full-time shot behind the plate. Which means no serious relationships. However, when a chance encounter leads him to Hayley, Brody finds himself wanting to know all about the beautiful blonde who has engaged him from the moment he spotted her. Together, they find themselves questioning the ideals they had set for not only relationships, but themselves, too. When the cherry blossoms bloom in the nation's capital, Cupid puts a squeeze play on Hayley and Brody. Will they be brave enough to love themselves and each other? Will love be called out? Or will their relationship be safe at home?
Broken Hart (A Cross Creek Small Town Novel Book 1)
Kelly Collins - 2020
I learned that the first time Kandra left.You know what she told me? That I couldn’t give her the life she wanted—a life of glitz and glamor.She left to model in the city, hit it big, and I thought I’d never see her again.I thought wrong.Now she’s back.She looks different, but deep down, she’s still the woman I loved—the woman I love.And this time, I’m going to make her mine.
The Way Back To Me
Anne Mercier - 2019
The book DOES end on a cliffhanger.
My life was charmed. I had the best friends ever. We were known as the Fab Five and our futures were planned out.In a flash, everything was taken from me. I don’t know how to live without them. I don’t want to.I’m broken.When I get to college, I see him.Cameron Stone. Mr. Football. Mr. Popular. He’s definitely hot, but on the inside he’s vile. He made my childhood a living nightmare. I don’t know why he hates me or why he’s suddenly being so nice to me. All the sweet talk in the world won’t work. I know better.So, why am I listening?
Change of Heart
Jennifer L. Allen - 2015
After high school, Casey abruptly leaves their hometown of Charleston, South Carolina for the west coast, leaving Decker wondering where she went and why she left.Three years later the two are reunited, both harboring some old resentment towards the other. Not to mention, Casey has been hiding a pretty big secret from Decker all those years. Not willing to risk losing Casey again, Decker follows her back to California in an attempt to save their friendship.Will Casey and Decker work out their issues and be best friends again? Or will they finally become something more?Change of Heart is the first book in the Second Chances series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but it is recommended that they are read in order.