Book picks similar to
A Taste of Utopia by L. Duarte
abuse
arc
dnf
contemporary-romance
Ten Below Zero
Whitney Barbetti - 2014
And you’re closer to death than I am.”My name is Parker. My body is marked with scars from an attack I don’t remember. I don’t want to remember. I choose to live my life by observation, not through experience. While people are laughing and kissing and connecting, I’m in the corner. Watching them live. I’m indifferent to everything, everyone. The only emotion I feel with any kind of depth is annoyance, and I feel it often.A text message sent to the wrong number proves to be my undoing.His name is Everett, but I call him rude. He’s pushy, he’s arrogant, he crowds my personal space, and worst of all: he makes me feel.He chooses to wear all black, all the time, as if he’s waiting to attend a funeral. Probably because he is.Everett is dying. And he’s spending his final days living, truly living. In doing so, he’s forcing me to feel, to heal. To come face to face with the demons I suppressed in my memory.He hurts me, he fulfills me, he completes me. And still, he's dying.
Eternally North
Tillie Cole - 2013
Her life is all going to plan — good job, great friends, close family and a loving boyfriend — until an unexpected event turns everything on its head. Nursing a broken heart and decked head to toe in tasselled chaps and rhinestones, Natasha and her flamboyant fairy of a gay best friend, Tink, uproot from their Northern nest, throw caution to the wind and embark on a new life together in Canada — the land of Rocky mountains, Maple Syrup, oh, and an ‘in-between movies’ Hollywood mega-star.Enter infamous bad-boy of the big screen, Tudor North. Bonafide hunk and actor-extraordinaire. Tudor is big, brooding and gorgeous and is harbouring a deep secret. Tudor’s cold and intimidating demeanour successfully keeps everyone at bay, that is everyone but a certain Ms Munro. It soon becomes clear, what with her smart mouth and lusciously ample arse, that Natasha proves more than a match for the emotionally distant star. Will Natasha and Tink settle into their new life abroad? Will Natasha ever find her fairytale happy ending? Can a movie star and an ordinary girl ever really make it work?Or will the secrets lurking in Tudor`s past threaten her chance at happiness?Addictive, hilarious and heart warming. A fast paced comedic journey of self discovery, unyielding friendship and of course, a suitable dose of slap and tickle.Warning: contains a foul-mouthed voluptuous Brit, a self-named 'Friggin' Fantastic Fairy’ and an abundance of bulging muscles and tattoos.
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.
The Brave Line
Kate Stewart - 2017
With a fresh perspective on life, she trades her tragic past in California for the coastal waters of Charleston. Fueled by a new career as a dispatcher, she’s determined not to let her scars weigh her down. She apologizes for nothing, especially her insatiable need for a certain police officer.Rowdy is a newly minted sergeant dedicated to his job, but the life of a Charleston police officer has never been more dangerous. With his need to take order of a city spiraling out of control, the last thing he wants is an entanglement with a mouthy dispatcher. But, there’s just one problem. He can’t get enough of her.As the heat rises between the unlikely pair, so does the tension.Three months of summer was all it took to shake their foundations, rattle their walls, and bring them crashing down.It was lust.It was love.It was real.And it would have been perfect . . . if it wasn't already over.Note to reader:This book has several elements and explores topics that some may consider triggers. For mature audiences only. Explicit sex, violence and language. (less)
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?
Bad Teacher
Clarissa Wild - 2016
Thomas Hard, the pleasure is all mine … literally.I can’t help it that my name suits me well.You know what else suits me well? That girl sitting across the bar, with her lips right where I tell them to be. I want her, and when I want something, it’s gonna be mine.One night. No names. No phone numbers. Just me, her, and pure pleasure.Except, that one girl turns out to be the biggest mistake of my life.Why?Because I broke my cardinal rule …Never b*ng a student.Author’s note: Don’t like reckless decisions & unbridled scr*wing? Don’t love girls that are obsessed with rainbows, unicorns, and ice-cream? Don’t enjoy a bit of corny humor sprinkled on top? Then this book is not for you. And last but not least, if you hate cats with huge jewels… Don't even bother.
Finding Us
Megan Smith - 2014
If you're looking for a fantastic NA read, look no further than Finding Us. ~ #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Bet Rachel Van DykenFinding Us is sweet and romantic with a twist of suspense all wrapped into a summer romance.~ Heidi McLaughlin, USA Today Best Selling Author of The Beaumont SeriesMegan Smith's Finding Us will take you on a rollercoaster ride of angst, love and even hate. Jasmine and Knox's story will grab you on page one, so hang on tight, folks! ~ Ilsa Madden-Mills, AUTHOR OF VERY BAD THIGNSJasmine Jennings is running from her past, something she never wants to deal with again. Starting out fresh in a new city, life is finally looking up.That is until she meets him — Knox Mitchell. She tries to elude him, but he’s everywhere. When she finally gives in, he begins to avoid her.One tragic night, Knox’s future was ripped away. His body and soul crave revenge from the man who took everything away from him, but when Jasmine crashes into Knox’s muddled life, he’s torn. What is he supposed to do about falling for the girl who was to be part of his plan for retaliation?When all secrets are revealed can they move forward without the past destroying any hopes of having a future?
The Wedding Contract
H.M. Ward - 2014
WardAfter I get the witch at the front desk to hand me my room key, I head for the shower. I was supposed to shoot my best friend's wedding alone, and I couldn't wait to escape New York and Nick Ferro.Yeah, he's beautiful, sexy, and completely charming, but he's stealing my clients. He's done so much damage that I'm going to be lucky if I can keep my studio open for a couple of weeks. This wedding means everything to me, and I refuse to let a spoiled brat with a shiny new MBA put me out of business. Screw that.But then I find myself wearing nothing but a smile when the person I hate most walks through the hotel room door. Nick Ferro. Two adversaries, shooting one wedding and sharing one room for one week. What could possibly go wrong?Genre: New Adult RomanceType: Novel 1 of 1
Licked
Brooke Blaine - 2015
Serving up Nibble My Nuts sundaes and Drunken Sailor boozy shakes are as close to an orgasmic affair as she's had in months thanks to her expanding empire—until the night of her ten-year high school reunion. When Ryleigh's crush, gorgeous ex-football god Cameron Mathis, comes streaking into her life (literally—streaking), she begins to wonder if she really can have it all. Wouldn't it just figure that the moment you think life is perfect is when it falls spectacularly apart? Enter Hunter Morgan, the contractor in charge of Licked's renovations. Devastatingly handsome, and a smartass to boot, he's got his eyes on Ryleigh from the moment he finds her passed out on his couch (yeah, that's a long story). There's just one tiny complication—he happens to be Cameron's best friend. When the lines between relationships and friendships blur, and it's impossible to choose between two delicious flavors, what's a girl to do? Taste a sample of each? Or go out and get LICKED?
Deklan
Shay Savage - 2017
I am his currency.I’m supposed to marry the recently crowned mafia king of the Foley family as repayment for my father’s transgressions. I don’t understand why the Foleys would want me, but I’ve grown up in a crime family, and I know the ugly consequences of not doing what you’re told. But as the wedding date approaches, the deal changes, and I’m about to be wed to a man I know nothing about. In fact, I don’t even know his last name.Instead of becoming a mafia princess, I’m marrying the henchman.Deklan.After one look at him, I’m not sure I’ll survive the wedding night.
Tap
Georgia Cates - 2015
That’s all she was when I agreed to play a part in deceiving her. But then the unplanned happened.We met. And all I wanted from her was a dirty weekend . . . until that wasn’t enough and I longed for so much more.Lawrence Thorn suddenly means the world to me. And that’s a problem. She’s my business partner’s sister. Forbidden fruit. Pursuing her can mean trouble for me at Lovibond Brewery. But I don’t care.I yearn for her skin against mine.I crave her smell on my body.I want to make her laugh and then hear her moan my name.And she does for a brief moment in time.But Lawrence wants more than I’m able to give. And it’s a damn shame because there’s no one on earth I want more than her.An epic love.A miserable ending.Unless it’s not.
Unbreakable
Rebecca Shea - 2013
She’s a good daughter, makes excellent grades, and always strays on the safe side of life. The last thing she thought would ever happen was falling in love with her best friend’s brother. But sometimes fate just has a way of bringing two people together. Wide receiver for the University of Arizona, Gabe Garcia, seems to have it all. When his feelings for Jessica come to surface, Gabe will give up everything to be with her. But what happens when a tragedy abruptly changes the course of your life? For Jessica and Gabe, everything they thought they knew about each other will be questioned. Sometimes, there are scars in life that are cut too deep to completely heal. Will their love prove to be unbreakable, or will it shatter and prove fate is just another lie?*This book contains mature subject matter and is not intended for those under 17 years of age.*
Bennett Mafia
Tijan - 2019
The wealthiest of the wealthy sent their kids to our boarding school, and Brooke Bennett had been at the top, though I never quite knew why. She was fun and outgoing, but she kept quiet about her family. The only things she showed me were photographs of her brothers. I became fascinated with her second-oldest brother. Kai Bennett. He was the most of them all. Smoldering. Hypnotic. Alluring. Kai had eyes that pulled me in and a face that haunted my dreams. Then I met him. He came to our school with their father, and that’s when I learned what kind of family Brooke came from. They were mafia, and Brooke’s oldest brother was dead. Her father said accident, but Brooke said murder. Three months later, her father died, and Kai became the head of the Bennett Family. Brooke left Hillcrest for good, and that was the last time I saw her. Fourteen years later, I’m staring at her face on the television. Brooke is missing. Two days later, Kai Bennett kidnaps me. ** This is a 120k complete standalone. ** There is a bonus chapter from another book at the end.
Void
Cassy Roop - 2015
My clientele list is immaculate. I am sought out, demanded and damn good at my job.I don’t care that these men have families at home, or that they are important people. I do it for the money.to survive. There is nothing that could make me feel a bit of remorse or concern about what I do because I was born with the inability to experience or feel emotions...I don’t feel PAINI don’t feel SORROW.I don’t feel extreme HAPPINESS or LOVEI am VOID.A blank canvas of emotions.An empty hole in an endless sea of circumstances, moods and relationships.Until one client changes EVERYTHING.
Make Me Forget
Kennedy Fox - 2017
Being a romance novelist comes with its perks but when Ethan Rochester enters my life and interrupts my solo writing retreat, my world turns upside down.I write about guys like him for a living—sexy and charming, yet reluctant to get into a serious relationship. His body’s the ultimate temptation, but his condescending personality makes him a notorious heartbreaker.When we’re forced to be neighbors, he makes me forget my rules, and soon my upcoming deadline isn’t the only thing I’m dreading.*Can be read as a complete stand-alone! Formally titled Falling for the Bad Boy. Content has not changed.*