Book picks similar to
Head Above Water by Amber Garza
new-adult
romance
favorites
standalone
Breaking Rules
Tracie Puckett - 2014
For Mandy, that meant finishing her last year of high school, going to college, and then returning to small-town Sugar Creek to live a solitary life as a writer. That was the plan, and her main rule for avoiding complications and staying on track was to never, ever, EVER let someone get too close. That was before she met Gabe. And when Gabe starts to awaken emotions she’s never experienced, Mandy suddenly begins to question every belief she’s ever had. She can’t be falling in love, can she? That would be the biggest mistake of her life, wouldn’t it? Could she break one of her most important rules—for Gabe?
Fixing Delilah
Sarah Ockler - 2010
Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.
The Love Game
Emma Hart - 2013
Arrogant, egotistical, and the playboy of the University of California, Berkeley, he's everything her brother Pearce has taught her to despise. So why, when the girls challenge her to play the player, why doesn't she say no? She doesn't know either.Braden wanted fiery little Maddie the second he laid eyes on her - and he'd do anything to have her, hence why he's agreed to make her fall in love with him. After all, it's the only way he'll get what he wants. Sex.But, as Braden discovers, there's more to the girl from Brooklyn than he ever imagined - and he can't help but care about the broken girl behind those pretty green eyes.Maddie finds Braden isn't just a walking erection - he actually has feelings. He can be sweet, funny and his good looks don't exactly hurt. That means trouble - but when her brother Pearce turns up in Berkeley begging for her help, she realises Braden and Pearce aren't so alike anymore.And maybe, just maybe, they're exactly what each other needs.
3 Sides to a Circle
Janna Watts - 2013
But with a friend like Libby Patterson, it is unforgettable.Libby is honest and fearless and adorable. She's the girl on campus that everyone knows. The life of every party. Infectious and addictive, Libby captivates all those around her. Particularly her roommate Honor and their boy bestie Toby.But three isn't always a magic number. And there's more to this trio than what everyone sees.When Honor finds herself falling for an artist, and Libby doesn’t approve, and Toby finds himself watching Libby more than he should...the sides of their circle become strained.The three are suddenly stretched between friendship, love and taking sides. They must fight to hold on to each other. But the tighter the hold, the harder it gets. Especially when Libby's unpredictability turns dangerous. Now it's up to Honor and Toby to save her from the downward spiral that could break their circle for good.
Miss Me Not
Tiffany King - 2012
Madison Hanson's past demons have given her a shadow of an existence with little hope. With the sudden tragic death of a fellow student, Madison questions her own life choices, and is now forced to evaluate everything she thought she believed in. When fate intervenes and partners her with Dean Jackson, a popular "all around good guy" from school, Madison gets a glimpse of a life that is filled with sunshine that has the power to break through the darkness she has cloaked herself in. With Dean's help, Madison discovers a desire to finally step out of the shadows, and embrace life and all its gifts.
Nothing More
Anna Todd - 2016
But he's getting the hang of things, found a job that pays (some of) the bills, enjoys school, and only occasionally runs into his ex, Dakota. You know, the one he chose NYU for...before she dumped him. Luckily, his best friend, Tessa, shares a (terribly small) Brooklyn apartment with him. And given the ups and downs she's had with her own ex, she's a good listener when he finds himself in something of a love triangle—a love knot? Whatever it is, it's a mess. An exciting mess. Maybe an addicting mess, because beautiful girls. Being young and finding your way in the world is hard. Landon's always been a positive person. But such a loud, demanding city so far away from home means you only get by with a little help from your friends. And a good pair of headphones. Landon's going to be okay...but the journey sure will be fun to watch.
Drops of Rain
Kathryn Andrews - 2014
I now live in a new town, go to a new school, and I’m supposed to be moving on with my new life. Only, I no longer know who I am. Dancing is all I have left and every day I feel completely alone. Silence has become the theme song to my life. She said to find some joy and light, but I don’t know how. Mostly, I feel surrounded in darkness…that is until I meet him.Drew HaleI have only one goal, in 298 days I’m going to drive away from this small beach town and never return. People are always watching me closely, too close, and I’m tired of wearing a mask. I need to be free. Swimming is my ticket out of here and I remind myself daily to fly under the radar, stick to my routine, and under no circumstances let anything distract me. I’m not as perfect as they think, most days I am drowning in guilt. I’m not sure I will ever be able to escape the feelings of shame, worthlessness, and just being unwanted…that is until I meet her.
Idle Bloom
Jewel E. Ann - 2014
Everyday she takes the Red Line to her job at The Green Pot in Boston while her friends enter the coveted, black iron gates to higher learning. The ramifications from a tragic accident have put her life on hold while time marches on for everyone around her. After graduating from Harvard Law, Boston native, Oliver Konrad, moves to Portland to start his career and his life. Three years later, after a horrific discovery, he returns home to trade in his three-piece suit for leather work boots and his suburban home for a condo in Cambridge. All he brought back to the East Coast was an aversion to pillows and secrets he keeps hidden behind a mysterious locked door. Oliver’s days are predictable and his nights are lonely until he meets Vivian on the subway. Her long raven hair, green eyes, and mile-long legs are achingly sexy, but the way she "innocently" fingers and licks her Boston Kreme doughnut can only be described in two words—complete torture.When their paths cross at every turn, laughter is abundant, friendship is easy, and love is unintentional. However, their future seems improbable.
Complicate Me
M. Robinson - 2015
That one moment where you could have chosen a path that would lead you down a certain road. A different life. It was easier to pretend that we were still best friends, and that she was my girl and I was her boy. Pretending was better than knowing the truth...I. Ruined. Us.I had her. I lost her. I love her.All I did was complicate us.STANDALONE series. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Strong language and sexual content, not intended for readers under 18.
Lying with Temptation
S.M. Donaldson - 2013
She’s always been a very loyal friend and popular by association, until the end of her high school senior year when her best friend and the guy she thinks she’s in love with betray her. The worse part of it is that her business and embarrassment become the talk of the entire small town she lives in. She takes an early admission to college along with her best guy friend Cade; she’s going to turn over a new leaf in life. Linc Addison is a star athlete and one of the most sought out quarter backs in the Southeastern United States. He’s the boy next door, who feels like his entire life he’s been used for his talents mainly by his father. The only person he’s ever really been able to count on is his cousin Russ. His high school girlfriend, cheated on him constantly, but wanted to keep him around so she could keep the correct social status. Now that he’s rid his life of her, he’s moved on to welcome the college life. The day Linc walked in his coed dorm room and saw Gabby unpacking he felt like he’d won the lottery and lost his ability to make complete sentences. She turned around to see one of the most gorgeous creatures she thinks God has ever put on this Earth. Can they break down each others walls, and find the peace they seek with each other; can they take on all of the temptations and obstacles that come their way? This is the first book in the Temptation Series…
Stone Cold Bad
Tess Oliver - 2015
A guy like him was the last thing I needed now. A guy like Colt Stone was the last thing I ever needed. -Colt-Emotion, feelings and, hell, even love had been turned off in all of us Stone brothers long ago. Then Jade landed in my life. It was the last thing I ever wanted, to feel this way about someone. Attachments like this were only followed by heartbreak, and I wasn't into heartbreak. I wasn't into f*cking attachments. Bad boy Colt Stone has a notorious reputation for being a tough and dangerous heartbreaker. A brutal childhood hardened him to the idea of any type of emotional attachment to anyone. When he becomes the unwitting accomplice in Jade Morrow's escape from an abusive boyfriend, he soon finds that he'll do anything to keep her safe. Has Colt found the one girl who can break through to his impenetrable heart?When she runs away from her monstrous boyfriend, Jade Morrow has no place to go and no one to turn to. She accidentally lands in the arms of a handsome, tattooed stranger. Colt Stone is as formidable as he is appealing and Jade soon finds that he's equally hard to resist. When her troubled past catches up to her, Jade discovers just how far Colt will go to save her.