Book picks similar to
Shortcuts by Amy Bearce


fantasy
paranormal
young-adult
high-school

Orion's Kiss


Claire Luana - 2019
    They are each other’s only hope. Merope is forced to watch as her sisters die lifetime after lifetime. In his anger at their ancient rebuke, Zeus cursed the seven Pleiades sisters—six to die, and Merope, the youngest, to give witness. Through many centuries and lives, Merope has tried everything to avert disaster, but she has always failed.For his crimes against the gods, Orion is cursed to commit the unspeakable acts Merope tries so hard to prevent. Orion has little hope against the power of the gods—he is resigned that this cruel sentence will be his eternity. Until an unexpected twist of fate shows them both that this lifetime could be different. And that together, they may harness a force powerful enough to break the chains of destiny that bind them once and for all. Orion's Kiss is a stand-alone YA paranormal romance perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, Richelle Mead, and Lauren Kate.

His Christmas Surprise


Deborah Garland - 2018
    Time to smooth things over and stop…fighting. They can’t seem to agree about anything. Faith's job as a producer is on the line and his long hours at the FBI are tearing them apart. Thank goodness, they have thirty days until their twin sons are born.Or so they thought...Three days before Christmas they get a surprise. The babies can’t wait. Nothing is ready. Including them. And...Faith won’t wake up after the delivery.Now Greg's re-writing his letter to Santa. He’ll make any sacrifice to keep his family together. He won’t lose his Faith again…His Christmas Surprise is the follow-up to All for Me, but can be read as a standalone...Previously titled A Must for Christmas (less)

Miss Apple Pants


Charlotte Roth - 2013
    In her senior year of high school, her family moves across the country to Seattle, turning her already-small world upside down. She feels alone and lost… But then she finds a box of decades-old love letters between Martha and Frederick; she becomes best friends with her new midget neighbor, Miss T; and she meets Hans, a very symmetric German exchange student. But summer ends abruptly when she is forced to make a decision that will change her life. Forever. A warmhearted and humorous coming of age story, Lost in Seattle, is a celebration of family, love, friendship, motherhood, and that special bond between daughters, mothers, and women across generations. “If you love a fast-paced story, with snappy dialogue and lots of humor and heart, this is the book for you.”"Charlotte Roth caught my attention with the snappy chapter titles. She kept it with snappy dialogue, which I adore, unique characters, which I fell in love with, and a story filled with heartbreaking, humorous, and heartwarming moments. It hasn't been easy for Eleanor, living with her tree hugging, 'hippie-like' parents. She's not happy when they move her from the east coast all the way to Washington state. After an exhausting cross-country drive with her parents in a U-Haul truck, they finally reach their destination, only to find the truck is filled with another family's belongings. After five days of being stranded with nothing of their own and limited funds, they finally decide to get some use out of the unclaimed contents of the truck. When they find an iron mailbox full of letters from 30 years ago, the two women in the family decide to read them. The tales of a young couple's struggles three decades earlier weave a complex and interesting pattern into this already interesting web of entertaining story line. This first story of Ms. Roth reads like it's her tenth, with crisp, clean writing. I'm looking forward to reading more from her. I give it 5 stars and high recommendations!" Lori Leger, Author of Fictional Romance with a Cajun flair. Owner/Editor at Cajunflair Publishing

Love on the Line (Great Expectations Love Stories: The Graykens #2)


Laurie L.C. Lewis - 2019
    After all, Matt fell in love with Mikaela the first time he saw her across a room, serving her cancer patients. Mikaela crossed an ocean to find Matt’s birth sister Kate, whose stem cells could save his life. That’s the kind of love they share. In their quest to defy the limits of Matt’s health and return a bit of the good they’ve known, they embrace grand, miraculous opportunities. But these opportunities bring new stress that threatens Matt’s health while also entwining the Graykens in the lives of complicated people who will challenge their bond, putting to test the promise they made, to choose each other when love is on the line. Love on the Line, Great Expectations Love Stories: The Graykens, Book Two, is the highly anticipated sequel to Love on a Limb.

Inker and Crown (Guilds of Ilbrea #1)


Megan O'Russell - 2020
    But being a prodigy and the Lord Scribe’s heir won’t be enough to find the secrets the Guilds would kill to hide. Adrial can’t face the dangers of hidden magic alone…A sailor with a taste for adventure.A soldier whose heart has been claimed.A beauty they will never suspect.A map maker with secrets of their own.An inker who will change Adrial’s life forever.The Guilds offer glory. The truth promises death. Adrial might be the only one who can save Ilbrea—if he can survive the shadows long enough to discover his true enemy.

Spearwood Academy Volume Five


A.S. Oren - 2015
    Will she succeed, or will she crumble? Will there be any of her boys around to help her? Only time will tell in Volume Five of Spearwood Academy.

Born of Illusion


Teri Brown - 2013
    A gifted illusionist, Anna assists her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums, and mentalists in 1920s New York. As the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini—or so Marguerite claims—sleight of hand illusions have never been a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her own gifts secret from her opportunistic mother. Because while Marguerite's own powers may be a sham, Anna possesses a true ability to sense people’s feelings and foretell the future.But as Anna’s powers intensify, she begins to experience frightening visions of her mother in peril, which leads her to explore the powers she’s tried so long to hide. And when a mysterious young man named Cole moves into the flat downstairs, introducing Anna to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, she is forced to confront her past and rethink everything she’s ever known. Is her mother truly in danger, or are Anna’s visions merely illusion? And could the great Houdini really be her father, or is it just another of Marguerite’s tricks?From Teri Brown comes a world bursting with magic, with romance, and the temptations of Jazz Age New York—and the story of a girl about to become the mistress of her own destiny.

Dissever


Colee Firman - 2012
    What could be worse than getting stuck with a destiny like that? Tanner Sutherland is about to show her.When a death in the Sanders Family leaves their power and secrets up for grabs, centuries old rumors begin surfacing. Far more sinister reasons for her family's involvement with the Akori than Addy ever could've imagined come to light. She learns the hard way that placing her trust in anyone could lead to disaster.Betrayed by old friends and leery of new ones--she's left to cut through the lies and deception to get to the truth.Find out why sometimes its better not knowing, and how much misery really does love company in Dissever - Book One of the Unbinding Fate Series. Now Available in the Kindle Store - Bonds are broken and new connections are forged in Sanctify (Unbinding Fate, #2) & Chasing Darkness (Unbinding Fate, #3)

Trust


Parker Sinclair - 2014
    The memories of the vile man she exiled using the powers inherited from her mother and grandmother are all but breaking into her living hours, and nothing is working to keep her nightmares at bay. Will she ultimately be the one responsible for bringing this horror back into her life? Who can she trust and how is she to deal with the draw she has towards a new man in her life – a man who is definitely more than meets the eye? Readers will devour this new adult, coming of age book that follows a frivilous party planer as she becomse a powerhouse like Buffy became the Slayer. This is more than a fantasy or paranormal novel. It's stocked with drama, humor, friendship, confusion, trippy worlds and creatures, and sexual tension. "I ran the gambit of emotions with this book." “Original and Captivating." "A contemporary fantasy at its best."Trust is a unique twist on contemporary & urban fantasy/paranormal Suspense novel for fans of Kim Harrison's, The Hollows, The Weird Girls Series, Shannara & The King Killer Chronicles.The Alex Conner Chronicles Reading order: Trust, Truth, Forbidden, & Only.

Love, Christmas - Movies You Love (The Holiday Series Book 2)


Mimi BarbourKaty Walters - 2018
    Each title - exclusive to this set - is inspired by a favorite holiday movie, spun into a fantastic love story by a NY Times, USA Today, and/or award-winning, bestselling author and delivered to you in this wonderful collection full of cheer for the coming season. Mimi Barbour – A Wonderful Life - Though Mary works with troubled teens, can she and an angel help a man living a nightmare? Leanne Banks – A Royal White Christmas - Can a secret prince be a Christmas wish-come-true for a small-town girl? Joan Reeves – Brianna’s Season For Miracles - Her seductive persona hides what she's ashamed of... What will happen if the man she's fallen for discovers her secret? Mona Risk – Jingle With My Princess - The doc and the princess... He saves lives, but she may save his heart. Rebecca York – Can She Get Home for Christmas? - Will a killer stop her from getting home for Christmas? Jacquie Biggar – Mistletoe Inn - A grieving man finds the greatest gift is love. Alicia Street – Miracle on Christmas Tree Street - A single mom discovers her business partner is more than he seems. Nancy Radke – The Holiday (Christmas) - Jodi's house-swap to Maui came with a small dog and a shipwrecked sailor. Katy Walters –Letters from the Snowman – The snow revealed a precious love. Stephanie Queen – Holiday Affair - Melissa goes from riches to rags but will she find gold in a holiday affair? Aileen Fish – Almost Christmas in Connecticut - Can a wounded warrior learn to trust her celebrity chef crush after discovering his secret? Rachelle Ayala – A Christmas Creek Carol - A reclusive writer is given a one-star review on her life by characters from her past, present, and future. Dani Haviland – The Polar Xpress - She prefers dogs to men…until she rescues the doctor. Traci Hall – Love, Actually (By the Sea) - Two strangers. One intimate night. Reunited a year later, can it actually be love? Taylor Lee – The Ref-er-ee - With a family this discombobulated, it will take a referee to save their Christmas. Donna Fasano – Her Mr. Miracle - It’s Christmas Eve and Veronica is stuck in a nearly deserted seaside town... She needs a miracle. Cynthia Cooke – A Christmas to Remember - A Christmas storm. Wedding plans in peril. Has a lost love been found? Susan Jean Ricci – A Joyous Holiday Inn - Can Twigg restore the joy of Christmas to Chloe’s indifferent heart? Tamara Ferguson – Two Hearts Home for Christmas - Can a long ago promise of love bring two lonely wounded warriors home for Christmas? Suzanne Jenkins – Christmas with the Clouds - Tracy isn’t interested in love until an unexpected Christmas visitor changes her heart. Natalie Ann – How Gavin Stole Christmas - Can Jolene help Gavin find the Christmas spirit when he’s the epitome of Mr. Bah Humbug? Ev Bishop – A Sharla Brown Christmas - For single parents Sharla and Jake, Christmas is the loneliest time of the year…until it’s not. Alyssa Bailey – In the Spirit of Christmas - Chase can protect Tara from danger, but can he protect his heart? Stacy Eaton – Finding Love on Christmas Vacation - Christmas isn't the same for Lucy without her father...until she meets his friend Maverick. Jen Talty – The Christmas Getaway - A mix-up in reservations leaves a mother and her son to share a cabin with a broken-hearted stranger.

Warrior Beautiful


Wendy Knight - 2013
    Her body has been broken, her heart has been broken, and the only thing keeping her together is her relationship with her younger sister. Lil Bit believes in unicorns and terrifying monsters she calls soul stealers. But unicorns and monsters aren’t real…are they?When Lil Bit falls prey to the mysterious disease sweeping the country, Scout has two options – believe the doctors who say it’s a pandemic or believe Lil Bit, who says it’s the soul stealers. She chooses her sister and goes looking for the unicorns who are supposed to save them. What she finds aren’t the cute pastel mythical creatures she expects. Battle unicorns are big and tough and full of attitude. Who knew?Unicorns are real and so are the monsters. Soul stealers are reaping the souls of the innocent, and the unicorns are fighting to stop them. But to save the world, they need the help of humans – the enemy they’re dying to protect. And first to sign up for the fight is the ex-boyfriend Scout’s heart won’t stop loving, no matter how determined she is to hate him.

Behind Blue Eyes (Stockholm Murders #1)


C.S. Duffy - 2019
    The perfect man.The perfect life.The only problem is the dead body on the beach.Investigative reporter Ellie has just given up her life in London to be with the man of her dreams in Sweden when she stumbles across a half decomposed skeleton on Midsummer’s eve.She’s flung into a murder investigation in a country where she doesn’t speak the language and doesn’t know a soul.Except Johan.The love of her life.Who she is beginning to suspect knows a lot more about the body than he is admitting.Is he the perfect man, or has Ellie uncovered the perfect crime? A psychological suspense thriller with a twist of Scandi noir - perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Grab your copy now!

Every Ugly Word


Aimee L. Salter - 2013
    She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.

The Witches of Vegas


Mark Rosendorf - 2020
    Zack Galloway is the teenage nephew and assistant to the last magician left in the city. Although they should be rivals, when Valeria, a four-hundred-year-old witch with a long-seeded grudge against humanity arrives in Sin-City, both teens act to bring their families together to stop the evil hag in her tracks.But can the combined witches' powers and the ingenuity of the magicians be enough to stop Valeria from taking over the city and possibly the world?

Worldwalker


Jamie Dalton - 2022
    Adalyn’s life as a cook in the king's kitchen, will soon end, when the spirits of the past reach out to her, warning that things are not all as they seem, in the Kingdom of Peiruin. Having long since rid itself of magic, the world has not seen a human with magical power, in five hundred years. Overwhelmed that her life may be forfeit, if her newfound abilities are discovered, Adalyn must find the strength to rise to the challenge of being the only worldwalker. On her quest to hone her magic, Adalyn enlists the help of the secret race of dwarves and elves and discovers she may be the key to saving them all -- or bringing the kingdom a war that’s long overdue.Write toAa