Book picks similar to
A Thousand Cuts by Melissa Toppen


brothers-best-friend
slow-burn
melissa-toppen
arc

Reconcile


Nicole Dykes - 2021
    Now they’re back in the same zip code, and Piper is desperately trying to keep her heart safe from the man who shattered it. Are some wrongs too depraved to be forgiven? Or is reconciliation sometimes possible, no matter how staggering the betrayal?

How to Date Your Brother's Best Friend


Julie Kriss - 2016
    No filter. No morals. Meet my boyfriend. Holly Everyone knows Dean Madden. He's a bad boy - and my older brother's best friend. The guy you'd never bring home to your parents. His looks are pure sex, and the only fun he knows how to have is the filthy kind. I've known him for years. No one in their right mind thinks I should date him. But now I've grown up - and everything has changed. I want him, even if it's just for a little while. Until I can't let him go. Dean I'm not that guy - the relationship guy. I'm the one-and-done guy, or so everyone says. But when Holly bets me she can date me for four weeks, I'm not going to say no. She's grown up gorgeous - and now I've got my chance. I don't deserve her. It can't get serious. I can't get my feelings involved, because there are things she doesn't know about me. But until it falls to pieces, I can give her the wildest, hottest four weeks of her life.... *This is a full-length standalone with no cheating and an HEA.*

Make Me Hate You


Kandi Steiner - 2020
    His hands grip my waist, and I remember the pain when he rejected me, when my entire world crashed down at his command. His jaw clenches, and my senses come alive with one stinging reminder.I’m not his to kiss, and he’s not mine.I tried to stay away from Tyler Wagner, putting an entire country between us. But when his sister’s wedding brings us back to the same town, to the same house, I can’t avoid him, no matter how hard I try.He’s always there, his dark eyes bewitching, luring me into their depths. The memory of us pulls me under like a rip current, and when he flashes that smile, I lose my breath, along with my will, unable to escape his grip and find the surface.Now, hours before our plus ones arrive for the wedding, I’m in his arms, begging him to make me hate him, knowing he never could.If he kisses me right now, I’ll drown.And I’ll take him down with me.

Addictive


Lola Finn - 2020
    Gorgeous. Frustrating. Sculpted perfection.Years ago, he claimed me as his best friend and then left, never to be heard from again—or so I thought until he showed up last year.We both spent the summer working at his father's luxury resort. Except he pretended not to know me, ignored me, managed to not even look at me for twelve weeks.Now we're both back again for another season, and a lot has changed since last year.He isn't just my secret obsession anymore. He isn't just my boss for the entire summer.Knox Cabot is about to become my stepbrother.And given the scorching stares, forbidden touches, and downright dirty things he says, Knox plans to claim me again...only in a hotter, sinful, and much more scandalous way.Welcome to Haven Cove. Elite, sexy, scandalous—and that's just the guests and staff. At one of the world's most exclusive resorts, someone's always doing something they shouldn't. Or, more likely...someone.Don't forget the sunscreen. It's amping up to be one long, hot summer. Each book in the Haven Cove series is a complete standalone with no cliffhangers, no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

This Cruel Love


Nikki J. Summers - 2019
    They trick you into believing true love will appear on the back of a white horse, in the form of a perfect, handsome Prince Charming. Most of the time Prince Charming turns out to be even more deceptive and evil than the wolf himself. I thought I’d met my soul mate at high school. Turned out my Mr Wright was so very wrong. Jackson.I live in a cruel and unforgiving world. I learnt from an early age how vicious life can be, but I’m a survivor. Life may have dragged me down to the depths of hell, but I know how to dance with the devil. Sometimes bad things happen to good people for no other reason than to remind us that this life is cruel. Sometimes good people are pushed to do very bad things to right the wrongs of another. But when all is said and done, we need to ask ourselves… how far would you go to protect the ones you love? Ryley thinks she has her whole life mapped out. Her happy ever after with her high school sweet heart Justin is already planned down to the very last detail. But life doesn’t always work out the way we expect it to, and when demons from Justin’s life threaten to destroy everything they’ve built up, Ryley finds herself thrown into a world of deception, lies and confusion. Truths get twisted, love and hate walk a dubious thin line and the enemy you think you know isn’t always what they seem.This book serves as a reminder that the first Prince Charming to cross your path isn’t always the hero in your happy ever after. *An enemies to lovers, second chance novel. Although this story isn’t a dark read, there are elements of darkness within, so please take note of the trigger warnings. There are cameos from Luca’s story in this book. However, you don’t have to have read Luca to enjoy this, it can be read as a standalone. **Warning: 18 years + recommended reader age due to sexual content. This story also contains scenes of drug abuse, suicide and sexual violence that may be upsetting to readers. Please proceed with caution.

Let Me


K.V. Rose - 2019
    “I don’t need to love you for this, Riley. Let me.”Love and hate are merely two sides of the same coin. And I hate Riley Larson. She's responsible for my little brother's death. She played us both, all those years ago. And she drove him to the edge.I've spent all this time avoiding her, loathing her, wishing to get her back for what she did.And now, she's back in my city. And finally, I can get vengeance for my brother.She did always like to be scared. No cliffhanger, can be read as a stand-alone. Dark romance, only suitable for those 18+.

The Cowboy's Wife For One Night


Molly O'Keefe - 2021
    He's fixing a bad situation for her—that's all—they aren't making a real life together. She wants to stay on the ranch and he's got his life elsewhere. Still, this arrangement is a good deal for both of them.Until that one night…One passionate night with Mia makes Jack rethink their relationship…and their future. But all his plans grind to a halt when she asks for a divorce. Once upon a time, Jack might have agreed. But now that he knows the chemistry they share, he's not giving up a second chance to be with his wife.

A Pound of Flesh


Sophie Jackson - 2015
    There she meets arrogant Wesley Carter, who’s as handsome as he is dangerous, as mysterious as he is quick-witted, and with a reputation that ensures people will keep their distance.As teacher and student, Kat and Carter are forced to leave their animosities at the door and learn that one should never judge a book by its cover. As Carter’s barriers begin to crumble, Kat realizes there’s much more to her angry student than she thought, leaving them to face a new, perilous obstacle: their undeniable attraction to one another.

The Truth about Heartbreak


B. Celeste - 2019
    The guy I could never touch.Then one night changed everything for us. But there was one huge problem.He belonged to her.

Dirty Hearts


Khardine Gray - 2019
    Be prepared to take a walk on the dark side. Claudius Rule #1 of being mafia boss- Trust no one. Rule # 2- Keep your friends and enemies damn close. In the underground world, friends and enemies could be the same thing. Don’t let them know who you love… My story started out with a guy who liked a girl. She looked like an angel to him. I was the guy, Ava the angel. But… my life turned into this world where I got married to her twin sister and Ava hated me. Then I got caught in a game with the devil I didn’t want to play. My enemies used my weaknesses against me, and killed my wife. Ava could have died too so I stayed away. The universe, however, had other ideas and threw her right back in my path. An angel like her didn’t belong in the dark world of a Mafia boss. I know that, except, I’m selfish. I should leave her alone, but I can’t. The problem is …history is repeating itself, and there’s an enemy in my circle. It’s the same game as before and this time losing could get her killed. Ava Avoid him… That was the most sensible thing to do. Ten years ago, when I first met Claudius, I knew he was trouble. He’d made me love’s fool and broke my heart in so many ways when he married my sister. So, what was I doing running back into the arms of a man I shouldn’t be with? Coincidence reunited us, but my heart did the rest. My heart stifled the voice inside that told me to run away. My heart made me selfish... I wanted him for myself. I knew I shouldn’t be with him, but I couldn’t leave him alone. That very thing could be my downfall. This isn’t like any other second chance romance you’ve read before… Stolen Kisses is a standalone, full-length mafia romance and a part of the Gangsters and Dolls series. Gangsters and Dolls series is a spin off from The Accidental Mafia Queen series. Continue the adventure with these sizzling hot, drool-worthy Alpha males. Meet the Chicago Familia in these series by USA Today bestselling author, Khardine Gray! The Accidental Mafia Queen 1. Mafia Boss 2. Mafia Scars 3. Mafia Love Gangsters and Dolls 1. Dirty Hearts 2. Stolen Kisses- Coming soon 3. Remember when we – Coming soon 4. Double Edged Hearts- Coming soon 5. The Sting of love - Coming soon

Waterfall Effect


K.K. Allen - 2018
    Allen comes a new and suspenseful small town mountain romance.Lost in the shadows of a tragedy that stripped Aurora June of everything she once loved, she’s back in the small town of Balsam Grove, North Carolina, ready to face all she’s kept locked away for seven years. Or so she thinks.As one of the victims of a string of mysterious disappearances in the small, picturesque Appalachian Mountain town, darkness has become her home—her safe blanket when the world reveals its true colors. But as the walls of darkness start to move in on her, she knows the only way to free herself from her past is to face it, head-on. She just needs to figure out how.Upon arrival, Aurora isn’t expecting her first collision to be with the boy she left all those years ago. The boy who betrayed her trust with no regrets. The boy who is no longer a boy, but a man with the same stormy eyes that swept her into his current before she ever learned to swim.She’d thought he was safe. He’d thought their path was mapped out. Turns out neither of them was ready for the crash at the bottom of the cascade.

Pretty Scars


C.D. Reiss - 2019
    Her beauty got her past the velvet ropes and into high society, but it ripped her away from the man she loved and chained her to an unbearable life.Then, in a single night, a song played by a mysterious and secretive musician carries her back to a past ripe with possibilities, when love could open any door.Who is this anonymous performer?How can a man she’s never met tell such a precise story of a boy she loved?She needs to know. But sometimes masks exist for a reason, and this unveiling could scar them both.

The Grump Who Stole Summer


Ella Fields - 2022
    The truth is, I just... panicked.My soul died when I was fourteen, and there was no reviving it. But when the one person who’d tried made headlines, got dumped by her Ivy League college, and was forced to work in my bookstore, I began to wonder if I needed it when my heart beat faster at just the sight of her.I began to wonder if I’d been wrong to push her away three years ago, and if she was as I’d hoped and feared—different. If maybe, she could truly accept a guy like me.All of me. Every vile, cruel, tattered piece.First, I had to find out a few things.Would she still smile and laugh when I said something acidic?Would she still melt beneath the pads of my inexperienced fingers?Did she still want me as much as I wanted her?And finally, could she ever forgive an undeserving prick like me?Something told me I’d regret not finding out.Told in dual POV, The Grump Who Stole Summer is a full-length standalone, enemies to lovers second chance romance. It contains some sensitive subject matter.

Still Beating


Jennifer Hartmann - 2020
    This book contains subject matter that may be sensitive for some readers, including rape, as well as strong language and explicit sex. 18+ only. Please read responsibly. When Cora attends her sister’s birthday party, she expects at most a hangover or a walk of shame. She doesn’t anticipate a stolen wallet, leaving her stranded and dependent on Dean—her arch nemesis and ultimate thorn in her side. And she really doesn’t anticipate waking up in shackles in a madman’s basement.To make matters worse, Dean shares the space in his own set of chains.After fifteen years of teasing, insults, and practical jokes, the ultimate joke seems to be on them. The two people who always thought they’d end up killing each other must now work together if they want to survive.But Cora and Dean have no idea their abductor has a plan for them. A plan that will alter the course of their relationship, blur the line between hate and love, and shackle them together with far more than just chains.

Mack: A Standalone Enemies-to-Lovers Romance


Alex Wolf - 2021
    Arrogant. Powerful.Presley Griffin is a do-gooder out to save the world.Sweet. Giving. Smart.But they have one thing in common… They’re ruthless in the courtroom.The spark is instant. The attraction undeniable.The yearning inescapable.And when they go from enemies to lovers, can they both survive the fire?