Book picks similar to
A Taste of Utopia by L. Duarte
arc
abuse
contemporary-romance
contemporary
Better
Carey Heywood - 2014
It was supposed to be the trip Ally would have taken when she got better. Now, it's just a chance for Aubrey to say good-bye. Adam escapes in his solo trips overseas, working just enough to fund the next one. When the opportunity to circle the globe falls in his lap, he can't refuse. The only catch is that he won't be traveling alone this time. Unable to hide from each other, Adam's overprotective nature thwarts Aubrey's desire to find her own way. Can they move past initial assumptions to find something better?
Dear Life
Meghan Quinn - 2017
Four stories. Four sets of letters. Four brave souls in need of guidance while facing life's greatest challenges. The anonymously published Dear Life program is designed to help them step outside of their comfort zones, face their obstacles, and relinquish their demons...and prove their existence. With their lives teetering between wanting more and losing it all, all four souls dive into the program as a New Year’s resolution, sending them on a crazy, life-altering journey. Dear Life, Please be kind. Yours truly, Hollyn, Jace, Daisy, and Carter.
From Ashes
Molly McAdams - 2012
So of course she follows him to Texas when he leaves for college. She just didn't expect to be so drawn to their new roommate, Gage, a gorgeous guy with a husky Southern drawl. The only problem? He's Tyler's cousin.Gage Carson was excited to share an apartment off campus with his cousin. He didn't mind that Tyler was bringing the mysterious friend he'd heard about since they were kids ... until the most beautiful girl he's ever seen jumps out of his cousin's Jeep. There's something about Cassi that makes Gage want to give her everything. Too bad Tyler has warned him that she's strictly off-limits.Despite everything keeping them apart, Cassi and Gage dance dangerously close to the touch they're both been craving. But when disaster sends her running into Tyler's arms, Cassi will have to decide whether to face the demons of her past ... or to burn her chance at a future with Gage.
The Do-Over
M.K. Schiller - 2013
Attorney Lanie Carmichael’s appearance is no surprise. She is dowdy, awkward, and dressed in so many layers she resembles a wedding cake, but not in an edible way. Her brazen attitude though, astonishes him, especially when she explains she has no interest in gorgeous Kyle. Lanie Carmichael is in love with Brad, and wants Kyle’s assistance in winning his best friend’s heart. Kyle gradually accepts, justifying that the mystery of Lanie has sparked his natural, thirsty curiosity. As an ambitious journalist, he also can’t resist the Pulitzer worthy scoop she offers him. However, as Lanie sheds more layers, both emotionally and physically, Kyle begins to examine his life choices, and his true feelings for this enigmatic girl. With Kyle’s support, Lanie begins to unravel the secrets of her past, and the deep pain that has quietly defined her life. As they each learn more about themselves and each other, both question how a relationship built on fraudulent lies between two broken people could ever survive.
Antony
Bethany-Kris - 2015
Not the ones that mattered, anyway. In the world of La Cosa Nostra, justice was served with a single word and a bullet, not a courthouse and a judge. When he was told to jump, there was only one appropriate response: How high, Boss? Some rules are worth bending. La famiglia has been Antony’s goal for longer than he cares to remember. Getting his button is everything alongside family, honor, God, and loyalty. Meeting Cecelia Catrolli puts what he thought he knew upside down as the mafia, friendship, secrets and love carry him through life. Nothing is ever easy. Some rules are worth the killing. When Cosa Nostra, the one thing he has always known and trusted, takes away his best friend, leaving Antony to pick up the pieces, he’ll have to decide if the rules are finally worth breaking. He didn’t start out as the boss, he began as just Antony. Sometimes, you have to learn how to be filthy. A Filthy Marcellos Prequel
Stone Rules
Samantha Christy - 2016
Her mother was a monster. And when Charlie left home, there wasn't always a warm bed, food, or a hot shower.She figured out how to get by on her looks.When her mother dies and she comes home to put that part of her life behind her, she finds the diary. It fills her with rage.She's out for revenge.But along the way she meets him. Ethan DOES play by the rules. And at the top of his list is "Don't get involved with clients."Will he break his rules for Charlie?
Secret [With Bonus Material]
Kindle Alexander - 2015
With tough negotiations ahead, he's armed with his acquisition pitch, ready to launch the deal of a lifetime. There’s just one glitch. The last thing he expects is to fall for the hot business owner he's trying to sway.Dylan Reeves, computer science engineer and founder of the very successful social media site, Secret, is faced with a life-altering decision. A devoted family man with three kids and a wife, Dylan has been living a secret for years. Fiercely loyal to his convictions, his boundaries blur after meeting the striking owner of the corporation interested in acquiring his company. For the first time in his life, reckless desire consumes him when the gorgeous computer mogul makes an offer he can't refuse.
Forever Love
Jade Whitfield - 2015
Guys break you though, they use you and spit you out, leaving you a broken mess on the floor. No, Liv is much too smart to let that happen, instead choosing to go down the route of the ultimate female player.Handsome and arrogant, Noah Travers is the ultimate catch. The star quarterback with a Greek God physique, he's too young and there are way too many girls out there for him to commit to one relationship.When Liv moves from Atlanta to the tiny town of Franklin to live with her Dad, she has no idea that her life is about to change. The second Noah claps eyes on his new step-sister, its love at first sight. Now all the reformed former player has to do is convince his beautiful, yet broken new step-sister that he's the guy for her. All Liv has to do, is trust her hot as hell new step-brother not to break her.Can their relationship survive secrets that have been hidden for years though? Can it survive the enemies that seem to lurk around every corner?Families will be tested, secrets revealed. Will it all be worth it for Forever Love?
Escape In You
Rachel Schurig - 2013
A womanizer. A fighter. Dangerous. The type of guy most girls do their best to avoid. But Zoe Janes is no saint herself. In fact, she sees in Jet the perfect opportunity to distract herself from her responsibilities at home and the mistakes that keep her trapped there. He’s gorgeous, likes to party, and is clearly only interested in having fun—just like Zoe. The more time they spend together, the harder it is for Zoe to stick to her “fun only” mantra. Jet is getting under her skin, making her believe things could actually be different. She knows they’re both trapped by the sins of their past but Jet is starting to make her think freedom might actually be possible. And that makes him the most dangerous boy of all.
Split
J.B. Salsbury - 2016
Her unforgettable new novel is a story of romance and suspense, with a twist no one will see coming . . .What do you do when you wake up with no memory of what you did last night?Lucas spent the first half of his life protecting himself from others, but now his own mind is his biggest enemy. He doesn't know what happens when the blackouts overtake him, but he can recall the feelings--the rage, the confusion, the fear. Thankfully the quiet life he's found in Payson, Arizona has kept the darkness at bay. Until his boss's estranged daughter shows up in town, asking questions she shouldn't and sparking a desire Lucas can't control. Getting close to Shyann is the best thing that's ever happened to him, but when his blackouts return, unleashing the truth he's battled so long to hide, he may just lose her forever . . .
Play
Piper Lawson - 2016
Just another twenty-something girl, living the dream. That’s what I tell myself every morning. That I’m successful, self-aware, and well-balanced. It's just a tiny fib. I would be all of those things, if I had friends who didn’t work with me at the bank. And if I made it to pilates more than once a quarter. And if watermelon slushies weren't the main source of nutrients in my diet. It wouldn’t hurt if I’d had sex in the last year, either. (My best friend insists Jorge the Nightstand Boyfriend doesn’t count.)But when you know where you're going, you don’t need to enjoy the ride. Right?Even if some teeny part of me did want to fool around, Max Donovan would be the last guy I’d call. Sure, he made the indie video game that broke the internet. And yeah, his eyebrow piercing’s sexy, in a ‘what-are-you-in-a-band?’ kind of way. And fighting with him gets me going faster than Jorge on bezerker mode…He’s still colder than a cactus and twice as prickly. And I’m not talking about his face, because the guy’s barely old enough to shave. It’d really be best if we just ignored each other. Which is a problem, because Max Donovan is my new biggest client.So what happens when the girl who lives to work meets the guy who was born to play?Game on.
My Savior Forever
Vicki Green - 2013
At a young age she was placed in Foster care that moved her around from one place to the other. Finally being freed at 18, she was left with no money and nowhere to go until she finds a small town in Kansas where she can start over.Little did she know her life was going to be uprooted again when she is kidnapped and brutally raped.Jesse is considered HOT in most women’s eyes, but has little time for Romance. While searching for his Mother’s killers, he witnesses a young girl being kidnapped. He now faces decisions that he must make quickly.Will Jesse rescue Cassie? Will Cassie ever find the happiness she longs for?*Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
Leap of Faith
Jamie Blair - 2013
Chris is one of the best parts of her new life, the only person who's ever made her feel safe. And now that she's found him, there's no way she can tell the truth:Her real name is Faith, not Leah. She's seventeen, not nineteen. And the baby isn't hers—Faith kidnapped her.Faith's history catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions and Chris's aunt spots her picture in the newspaper. She knows it's time to run again, but if Faith leaves, she'll lose Chris. If Chris is in love with a lie, though, did Faith ever really have him in the first place?
Fall Back Skyward
Autumn Grey - 2016
I loved her. But they took me away from her and locked me up. For two years, all I could think about was her. She consumed me. Took up every room in my head and gave me something to focus on, knowing I would see her soon. Nine years ago, I watched her as she walked down the aisle and into the arms of a man who wasn't me. My brother. I left my home and never looked back. Now, I'm staring at seven letters, each envelope stamped with one word in bold, red ink: URGENT. I have no choice but to go back home. Seeing her will be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But in order to reconcile with my past, I have to face my present. Even if the thought of seeing her, knowing that she is out of my reach, kills me. I have no idea what awaits me, but I can only hope that the demons of my past will finally be buried and put to rest. **Due to possible triggering descriptions of self-harm, and some sexual situations this book is not recommended for anyone under the age of 17 years old**
The Dean's List
Kelly Collins - 2015
He’s a heartbroken client. Falling in love was never in the contract… Grad student River Roberts is at the head of her class. But outside of the lecture hall, she’s struggling to make ends meet. Refusing to let her diploma slip through her fingers, she joins a secret student society that caters to the wealthy alumni’s deepest desires. But when she starts to fall for a handsome client, she realizes she never factored in the price her heart would pay.After his wife’s death, Jonathan Ferris fills his waking hours with high-powered acquisitions and commodity trading. But no amount of cold hard cash can keep him warm at night. Consumed by loneliness, he turns to his alma mater’s escort service. But his passionate encounters with a co-ed who’s as smart as she is sexy make him wonder if there’s something more between them than money. With graduation fast approaching, can River and Jonathan see past the price tag and open their hearts to true love?The Dean’s List is the first standalone novel in the steamy Making the Grade romance series. If you like secret societies, sizzling sex scenes, and forbidden love affairs, then you’ll adore Kelly Collins’ irresistible read.
Buy The Dean’s List to enroll in a sultry secret romance today!