Book picks similar to
Striking Chords by Kristen Kehoe


romance
college-age
itsy-bitsy-books
nos-cedieron

Beautiful Disaster


Jamie McGuire - 2011
    She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand. Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Pieces of You & Me


Pamela Ann - 2014
    Olivia Taylor’s life turned upside down when she found out her mother was moving into her boyfriend’s home. The glitch? The boyfriend had a son named Greyson—the guy she loathed more than anything. Greyson Edwards was your typical arrogant self-entitled jerk. He loved to taunt and tease Olivia. But the more time they got to spend together, the more complicated things became. Will these two stubborn folks ever figure things out? Will they let themselves feel what was truly boiling underneath the angst and unveil the passion that’s only a mere kiss away?

In the Stillness


Andrea Randall - 2013
    Staying present is only possible when you let go of the past. But, what if the past won't let go?

The Hardest Fall


Ella Maise - 2018
    You smile, say hello. Should be simple, if you’re anyone but me. The first time I met Dylan Reed, I found myself making eye contact with a different part of his body. You see, I’m very good at being shy, not to mention extremely well-versed in rambling nonsense and, unfortunately, rather highly skilled at making a fool of myself in front of a guy I’m attracted to. At the time, I knew nothing about him and thought none of what I said would matter since I’d never speak to him again. Turns out, I was very wrong. He was the star wide receiver of the football team, one of the few players expected to make it into the NFL, and I ended up seeing him all over campus. I might have also propositioned him, run away from him, attacked him with a cooking utensil…and…uh, maybe I shouldn’t tell you all of it. It’s pretty normal stuff, things you’d expect…from me. Eventually, the time came when I couldn’t hide anymore—not that he’d have let me even if I tried. Before now, he never knew I was secretly watching him. Now that we see each other every day, he knows when I have a hard time looking away. It doesn’t help that I’m not the most subtle person in the world either. He smiles at me and tells me he finds me fascinating because of my quirks. I can’t even tell him that I think my heart beats differently whenever he’s around. He thinks we’re going to be best friends. I think I have a big thing for him, and the more I get to know him, the more I don’t care that I’m not allowed to be his friend, let alone fall for him. The thing is, that’s exactly what I’m doing—what we’re doing, I think. Falling. Hard.

Set Me Free


London Setterby - 2016
    She ends up on a remote island off the Maine coast, where she befriends a bubbly shopkeeper, Claire, and becomes fascinated by Claire's son, big, brooding Owen Larsen, a woodworker who keeps to himself. Even the friendliest locals here are secretive--and Owen is at the center of their secrets. Still, Miranda loves the salt air, the craggy coastline, and, most of all, the work of the island's beloved local painter, Suzanna White. Miranda wants to stay--to claim a life of her own, to paint again. But the longer she stays, the more her fascination with Owen increases. Why is there a painting of his stern, handsome face in the art gallery by the beach? And why is everyone so afraid of him?

Love Under Quarantine


Kylie Scott - 2020
    With a career-ending scandal on his back, Evan hides out in his best friend’s empty San Francisco home, the full city shutdown locking him in a lonely twenty-story apartment in the sky.Romance writer Sadie Walsh is having the worst case of writer’s block ever…until the incredible, muscular stranger staying next door gets her muse going strong. The pair of loners, never expecting to find a friend in all the madness, meet each day out on their balconies like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.Each new day brings unique challenges for the pair as they navigate the unknown and find solace together. They quickly figure out that as long as they have one another, they can handle anything.Even falling in love under quarantine.

Damian


Jessica Wood - 2013
    The man, the legend, the heartbreaker. As a self-proclaimed man-whore, Damian doesn’t believe in love or commitment. In fact, he can’t remember the last time he’s had feeling for a woman that went beyond hot, no-strings-attached sex. The only things he cares about are his bar, his appearance, and his needs.But then he meets Alexis.Meet Alexis Blythe. A small town girl that has lost a lot of love in her life. Wanting to leave her past behind her, she moves to San Francisco looking for a big change. Yet, despite everything she’s gone through, she still believes in true love.But then she meets Damian.When Alexis shows up at his bar, Damian’s caught by surprise. She’s different. She’s sweet, innocent, and feisty. But above all, this woman didn’t respond to his charm and piercing-blue eyes the way every other woman did. To Damian, she’s his ultimate challenge.Could Alexis be the girl that will break through Damian’s wall of perpetual bachelorhood without getting hurt? Or will Damian remain true his ways and break Alexis’s heart and her hopes of true love?

Real Fake


Aly Mennuti - 2020
    Annie Shepherd has the perfect literary life.But Annie Shepherd has a secret. A huge secret she's tried to hide her entire career, which is bought to the surface when her National Book Award winning boyfriend (and Annie’s former professor), suddenly dies.Now, Annie must rely on her own worst enemy for a solution … her literary agent. The posh, snooty and pretentious Henry Higgins, who has always been disdainful that Annie is his biggest client.If Annie's secret is exposed, Henry Higgins will have to take the fall with her. Whilst reluctantly working together to try and protect both their careers and reputations, they learn of something much bigger which unites them … a little something Annie's been writing about her entire career …Love.

Starting Over


Evan Grace - 2014
    And if it weren’t for her brother’s imminent deployment, she wouldn’t even have considered coming back home. But she did. And now she needs to do everything she can to avoid the reason she left in the first place. Luke Carter. The man who turned his back on her when she needed him most. There’s just one problem…Luke seems to have other plans. He’s determined to set things right, making it impossible for Bellamy to ignore the connection they still share after all these years. But Bellamy has a secret. And it’s the kind of secret that has the potential to destroy every last bit of hope she has for a second chance at happiness. The question is, will the truth bring them closer together…or will it tear them apart for good?

Wrecked


Emily Snow - 2014
    She exists but doesn’t live, and she copes the only way she knows how: by wrecking things.She exposes her dad’s affairs, ends things with her longtime boyfriend, and just last semester she destroyed her music scholarship. Desperate to break away from all the destruction she’s caused and start over, Evie reinvents herself at her new university. But then Rhys, her new voice instructor, happens. He’s gorgeous, insanely talented and a part of the dark past she’s trying to overcome. Rhys’s brother is the reason why Evie's life is such a mess right now, the reason why Lily, Evie's sister, is dead. Even though Rhys is the last person Evie should ever want, for the first time in two years, wrecking things seems…right.

Breakaway


Heather M. Orgeron - 2017
    Sounds like a cheesy line from a country song, right? Too bad it's the story of my life. I thought that I’d moved on, swore he was the one. But that facade began to fade in the flash of a half-carat diamond ring. Now years later, here I am, running back to the boy who broke my adolescent heart, hoping that just maybe, he’ll be the one to piece it back together. .... I fell in love with my best friend while she fell in love with him. Ironically, it was my own damn fault. I practically served her up on a silver platter. So I turned to my second love, basketball, moving across the country to escape. For years, I’ve been sitting on the sidelines watching, waiting. Now it's time to make my move. No more fouling out. This time, I'm going to score.

Full Contact


Cassie Cole - 2019
    That is, until I met the three of them. I normally don’t like college parties. I only went that night to keep my roommate company. Yet when the sexiest, most muscular man I’ve ever met started flirting with me? Well, let’s just say I didn’t go back to my dorm room that night. But the devilish rogue who took me home isn’t just another student. He’s Danny Armstrong, the star quarterback of the football team. And getting into my pants isn’t the only thing on his mind. He and two of his teammates need a physical trainer for the season. Someone to monitor their workouts and help them avoid injury. And as a kinesiology student, I desperately need the work credits that come with the job. Danny Armstrong, the clean all-American with a steel jawline and sexy blue gaze. Lance Overmire, a goofball wide receiver with washboard abs and an “I just thought of a dirty joke” grin. Fernando Martinez, the dark-and-handsome place kicker from Chile who pronounces my name like it’s an exotic meal. I’ll be working with them every day for the fall semester. Watching them lift weights in the morning, monitoring football practice in the afternoon. And giving them far more specialized physical therapy in the evenings. Can I be the physical trainer that helps them go to the playoffs? Or will they end up falling for me along the way? FULL CONTACT is a scorching, stand-alone reverse harem love story filled with humor, suspense, and excitement. HEA guaranteed!

What's Left of Me


Amanda Maxlyn - 2013
    He is persistent, and he knows what he wants. Me.He doesn’t treat me like I’m fragile.But he doesn’t know, and I’m not ready to tell him.What if it changes everything?Tragedy found me when I was seventeen.Love found me when I was twenty-one.My name is Aundrea McCall, and this is my journey.

Football Daddy


Ava Walsh - 2016
    Now he’s my secret. Melissa has always had a crush on Nick. Always, for as long as she can remember. It’s too bad that he is not only her big brother’s best friend but also her best friend’s older brother. Talk about complicated. He is also a womanizer, with a reputation to prove that. What could she even have to offer? When the guys have a party to celebrate them going to the Super Bowl with their local Seattle team, Melissa is surprised when Nick approaches her with an idea. She’s helped him in the past, and now that she’s twenty-two, he wants her to help him some more... in his bed. Nick proposes a friends with benefits situation to her, and she knows that she’s crazy to think about it at all, much less say yes. Melissa is a virgin going into a sexual relationship with one of the biggest players in the NFL. She’s read the stories and heard the rumors, but none of that matters when she’s in his bed and finally getting her dream. Not at first, at least. Can they make it through rumors as they keep their relationship secret from the ones that they love the most? Will circumstances make it too hard for Melissa to stick it through, even though she is in love with Nick? One night could change everything about them and their lives. One night could change their futures. One night could make them see their feelings for each other, if Melissa doesn’t keep running away. Just one night is all it takes. NOTE: This book includes bonus stories! AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is a 17,000-word stand-alone story with an HEA, so no cliff-hangers! Story contains mature themes and language and is intended for 18+ readers only.

Hypnotized


Lacey Wolfe - 2014
    Venturing out on my own, away from my parents, and finding out what life is really all about. College isn’t as easy as I thought it would be, especially with my best friend Evan becoming someone I hardly recognize.But then I met Gabe. He changed everything. My life will never be the same.GabeI lived my life day to day, waiting for something great to happen. Then she walked into the coffee house, with her long legs and killer smile. I had to know her. Nothing was going to stop me. She hypnotized me from the moment I laid eyes on her.And after the first kiss, my fate was sealed to Paisley.Content Warning: This book is recommended for ages 17 and up. Adult situations, including sex, underage drinking, and drugs will be found within these pages.