Book picks similar to
Ahead of the Darkness by Simone Nicole


romance
new-adult
contemporary-romance
contemporary

Rascal


Katie McCoy - 2018
    He’s also opening a bar with his buddies right below my apartment. Goodbye, peace and quiet, hello sleepless nights fantasizing about my hot new landlord… But when my stuffy workplace makes it clear I need a plus-one for our events, I have the perfect way to even the score. Emerson is A+ arm-candy… as long as I can resist taking a bite. Our arrangement is supposed to be just for show, but Emerson is like that fifth shot of tequila: tempting, intoxicating, and liable to leave me flat on my back with my panties around my ankles, begging for more. Maybe I should stay for just one more round…

Relent


Nina Levine - 2015
     I let Evie Bishop go once. I won’t make that mistake again.I’ve loved Evie since we were kids, before I found the Storm MC.Long before I sold my soul to the devil.I never wanted to bring her into this world, but a man can only go so long without the woman he loves by his side. I need her like I fucking need air and I won’t stop until she’s mine again. I knew she’d battle me.I knew I’d have to fight hard for her.But I never thought I’d be in this predicament — torn between her and my club.The thing about me, though, is that I’ll do anything for those I love. Even if it could cost me everything. This story contains all the panty-melting sexiness and alpha goodness that Nina Levine books are known for. This spin-off series can be read without reading the original Storm MC series.

Ignite


Kate Benson - 2015
    Over the last decade, they’d seen each other through every obstacle adolescence had thrown their way. When Zeke returned home for the summer after his first year away at college, their time apart forced them to see each other in a new light. Once temptation became too much to resist, lines were crossed and the relationship they fought so hard to protect paid the ultimate price. When fate brought them back together two years later, would it mean a second chance? Or would the summer that irrevocably changed them be the one thing their friendship couldn’t survive?

Hockey Is My Boyfriend


Melanie Ting - 2014
    To achieve that, she’ll need to focus hard and switch to a new competitive team. An initiation prank forces Kelly to kiss Nick Ericcson, a handsome blond hockey player. And that kiss leads to her first relationship and a host of other distractions.Phil Davidson is tall, dark, and irritated. He’s been Kelly’s best friend since they laced up skates together as kids. Although he’s had lots of girlfriends, he’s never forgotten Kelly’s promise that she would tell him when she was ready to date. And now, he’s determined to force a substitution and become her new boyfriend.Hockey Is My Boyfriend, Part One is a funny and passionate journey into first love. This is the first book in a trilogy follows the adventures of Kelly as she stickhandles her way through life and love.

Something like Normal


Monica James - 2014
     An irrevocable decision has left Mia Lee a fugitive and on the run—a circumstance that should leave her weak and scared, yet Mia has never felt so alive. Under the pseudonym of Paige Cassidy, Mia is ready to live the life she’s never had, and she’s determined not to allow her tainted past dictate her promising future. Paige is on a Greyhound bus heading from L.A. to South Boston, Virginia, to start a new life. A life that includes finding her mother, who abandoned her at age three. But what she finds, is four people, who will change her life forever. Yet no one can outrun their past… Especially one filled with bitter memories, which refuse to remain hidden.

Breaking Free


Juliana Haygert - 2013
    To others, her family and her relationship with Eric is perfect. But she knows the truth. She lives it.After a fire takes her grandma's life and kills her horse, Hannah's immaculate life spirals out of control. Her father disapproves of her decision to run her grandma’s ranch instead of focusing solely on learning the family business; Animal Control brings her Argus, a mistreated horse that she can't turn away even though she's not ready for another horse; and her boyfriend, Eric Bennett, a world famous polo player, becomes possessive and authoritarian. Despite her best efforts to disguise it, Hannah grows wary of him.Then, Leonardo Fernandes struts onto the polo scene. A cocky rookie with a messy life of his own, he’s drawn to Hannah and isn’t afraid of showing it, even when Eric makes it clear she is his and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Hannah suffers for Eric’s jealousy. The abuse only gets worse when Leo steals the title of best polo player in the world from Eric.But the title isn’t enough for Leo. He wants Hannah too, and she can’t deny her attraction to him either. Somehow, she must find a way to break free from abusive Eric before he breaks every bone in her body.Author's note: this book contains scenes of domestic violence, mentions of animal cruelty, strong language, sex scenes (no rape!), and a HEA.The Breaking Series:Breaking Free (Book 1)Breaking Away (Book 2)Breaking Through (Book 3)Breaking Down (Book 4)*All books are standalone and can be read out of order.

Intimate Strangers


Laura Taylor - 2011
    Nevada wilderness. Ignoring posted No Trespassing signs and the property's angry owner, she dismisses his threats and demands that he reveal her missing brother's location.Nicholas Benteen, ex-mercenary and former CIA covert operative, assumes she is yet another adversary intent on exacting lethal revenge for his past deeds. He will fight to the death to protect the sanctuary he has created for himself and those from his past he has vowed to safeguard. Even as Hannah penetrates Nicholas's isolation and melts the ice that encases his weary heart, she is seduced by the sensual, battle scarred veteran and the dark secrets of his past.

Jefferson Blythe, Esquire


Josh Lanyon - 2015
    Armed with his grandfather's 1960 copy of Esquire's Europe in Style, Jeff sets off looking for adventure but finds much, much more than he bargained for...In London, dodging questions from shady criminals about a mysterious package he most certainly does not have is simple. Losing the gunmen who are convinced he's someone else is not. And when George, an old friend, offers him help—and a place to stay, and perhaps something more—things become complicated.Is George really who he seems? And is Jeff finally ready to act on his attraction?From Paris to Rome and back again, Jeff and George fall for each other, hard, while quite literally running for their lives. But trusting George at his word may leave Jeff vulnerable—in more ways than one.

Yours to Have


Kelly Collins - 2014
    She’s only helping her friend. But when the menu offers such sweet passion, who can say no to seconds?Wealthy LA nightclub owner Damon Noble won't risk another painful relationship betrayal. Preferring to keep everything strictly business, he pays for company with no strings attached. But when his latest hire proves absolutely unforgettable, he's ready to order another helping…Katarina Cross has a big heart and even bigger tuition expenses to cover. So when a school friend asks her to stand in for an escort double-booking, she wants to say yes to the cash despite her misgivings. Once Katarina confirms she'd only be there as arm candy, she agrees to the gig and lays eyes on a client who's witty, street-smart, and gorgeous…As their attraction grows and Damon offers to pay for another date, Katarina isn't sure she’s that kind of girl. But when they both discover they're reading the same steamy book, the student considers indulging her sweetest fantasies. Will Damon and Katarina move on to the next course, or will old wounds ruin a recipe for love?Yours to Have is a delicious selection in The Pure Decadence Series of moving contemporary romances. If you like heartwarming honesty, compelling characters, and romance with a slow burn, then you'll love Kelly Collins’ engaging treat of a novel.Yours to have was originally published as Just Dessert.

What Once Was Perfect


Zoe York - 2013
     Heading home always stirs up mixed emotions for Laney Calhoun. Twelve years ago she left for graduate school, broken-hearted. She's found professional success, but positive personal relationships have proved elusive. Running into her ex-boyfriend fans flames she thought long extinguished, and causes a renewed interest in love. Not with Kyle, of course. Never again. But as sparks fly and items of clothing disappear, she scrambles to keep her emotions in check. ...Now he has a second chance to get it right. Kyle Nixon let Laney slip away once. Their chemistry together is undeniable, but steamy sex is not enough to convince her to let him back into her heart. Even if she did trust him again, her career as a paediatric surgeon is five hundred kilometers away from the hometown that he loves, and the life he once chose over her. Come home to Wardham. Come home to love.

Runaway Heart


Claudy Conn - 1990
    He expected a country mouse with no polish, but instead he found a thoroughly engaging minx, and was oddly irritated by all the male attention she received.Chelsea with her unspoiled eye saw beyond Wainwright’s pursuit of hedonism to the intriguing man underneath. But to her shock, it appeared his heart belonged to her horrid Aunt Augusta!Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.390 KB 72,000 word count

Blood Orchids


Toby Neal - 2011
    On a routine patrol she finds two murdered teenagers—one of whom she’d recently busted. With its echoes of her own past, the murdered girl’s harsh life and tragic death affect Lei deeply. She becomes obsessed—even as the killer is drawn to Lei's intensity, feeding off her vulnerabilities and toying with her sanity.Despite her obsession with the case and fear that she's being stalked, Lei finds herself falling in love for the first time. Steaming volcanoes, black sand beaches and shrouded fern forests are the backdrop to Lei's quest for answers—and the stalker is closer than she can imagine, as threads of the past tangle in her future. Lei is determined to find the killer—but he knows where to find her first.

Body, Ink, and Soul


Jude Ouvrard - 2014
    After living under the strict rules and protection of her mother, Nix moved out with her two best friends in a quaint little Seattle apartment. For the first time Nix is finally able to spread her wings and breathe. Together, they get a job working at a bar and for the first time everything is perfect. Freedom, friendships, a great job and fantastic man on the verge of becoming hers. Tristan is the suave, intelligent, not to mention gorgeous law student that Nix has her eyes and heart set on. For the first time, she has her life together; that is, until her path crosses with Levi. The charming, tattooed and downright sexy bad boy that Nix knows she needs to avoid. But when one of her friends moves out she is shocked to find that her new roommate is none other than Levi. Flirting. Desire. Undeniable temptations. Nix can’t deny the chemistry surging between them but she can’t forget her mother’s extreme hate towards bad boys.Will Nix have the strength to listen to her heart? Or will her mother’s rules cost her everything?

Self Destruct


K.D. Carrillo - 2013
    But one unexpected encounter at a lake house would stir up every dark emotion she worked so hard to forget. There wasn’t anyone Aiden Ryan hated more than himself… Plagued with a life filled with manipulation and regret, he will try anything to ignore the guilt that eats him alive, even if it means more pain for him in the long run. It’s not until he meets Becca that things start to change. There’s only one problem—he’s stuck in a relationship he can’t get out of with a woman he doesn’t care about. Love is complicated, but when two people have demons they refuse to face, love could destroy them. Together, Becca and Aiden try and let go of their painful pasts to be together. But will their pasts let go of them?

Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer


Demelza Carlton - 2013
    The worst part is that they're human. "Name?" "Nathan Miller.""What happened?""I was shot.""By whom?""A homicidal lunatic with a gun and bad aim." "Her name?""Caitlin Lockyer.""What happened to her?""Looks like someone tried to kill her."Nathan found Caitlin on a beach covered in blood. Saving her life was just the start. Now he's the prime suspect and he has to find out who's really responsible. Both of their lives depend on it.Who hurt her? Why was he shot? What did he promise? Why doesn't his story add up? Who was the dead man on the beach? What will she remember when she wakes up? A tiny taste of what's in store: "Stay away from her, Nathan. That girl isn't good for you."Stay away from her? I'd go crazy with worry in a day. "You don't know her."Chris looked grim. "Neither do you. Is there anything you wouldn't do for her?" "Yes," I snapped. "I wouldn't die for her."Chris turned around to stare at me, her mouth hanging open. "Do you want to know why?" I asked steadily. "I wouldn't die for her because I wouldn't be able to protect her any more. What if I missed one of the people who hurt her? I couldn't take that risk. She's too important." Nightmares Trilogy Dark, disturbing and definitely scary - Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer is the first book in Demelza Carlton's Nightmares Trilogy. The second book is Necessary Evil of Nathan Miller.