Book picks similar to
The Hard Way Home by C.W. Farnsworth


young-adult
sports
romance
contemporary-romance

Black Diamond


Ali Dean - 2016
    Not even the boys. Still, Roxie was shocked when she received a scholarship to Stark Springs Academy, a boarding school that churns out Olympians in each graduating class. Entering as a high school junior, Roxie can’t wait to learn from renowned coaches and train with the fastest ski racers from all over the globe. But, upon arrival, Roxie discovers that Stark Springs lives under its own set of rules, and it appears one boy plays dictator. Ryker Black is not friendly and Roxie cannot fathom why everyone wants to be his friend. Sure, he’s gorgeous and rides a snowboard like it’s his fifth limb, but he’s cold, ruthless, and holds way too much power over the Stark Springs population. Roxie won’t put up with it. She’s here to train, and she doesn’t care about impressing anyone off the slopes. The only problem? Ryker Black doesn’t permit defiance. Not without consequences.

Fake It 'Til You Break It


Meagan Brandy - 2020
    He didn’t have to break me to win. But he did it anyway.

The Game Changer


L.M. Trio - 2013
    Everything that ever made you feel safe and secure; can be gone in an instant...” Jesse’s world is shattered in that instant…the rest of her life is mapped out by a split second change that she never dreamed could happen. Now she must learn to start living through all of the things that come after. After suffering a breakdown, Jesse, a shy, awkward, soon to be junior in high school, and her father, decide to make a new start in a new town, hoping to find a tiny piece of the happiness they once knew. She never dreamed that the family living across the street from her new home could change her life in ways she never thought were possible… Luke thought he had his life figured out. The soon to be senior, thought he had everything; popularity, looks, charm, girls, and an arm that was the envy of every MLB pitcher in the game. The shy, awkward, but way too beautiful girl that moved into the house across the street, was not in his plans. The story continues with everlasting friendships, love, challenges, and Game Changers that are unexpected in their young lives. Who knew that even after a tragedy, life can give you more than you ever had before?

The Trouble with You


L.A. Cotton - 2019
    Cocky football players, school rivalry, and the girls who get in their way. Get ready … The Raiders are coming! Hailee Raine only has to survive one more year. One year of life in her football obsessed town. One year of nauseating school spirit. Just one more year of her cruel step-brother Jason; and his cocky, arrogant, football-playing friends. She hates them. Especially, Cameron Chase, the guy she thought was different. Cameron Chase has the world at his feet. He has it all; good looks, talent, and the charm to go with it. He has colleges lined up at the door, all wanting a piece of Rixon Raiders star wide receiver. Until something threatens everything he's ever worked for, and only one person can quiet the war raging inside him. But he's supposed to hate her; his best friend's sister. She's off-limits. Untouchable. She's trouble with a capital T. Then Hailee finds herself in the middle of a football prank gone wrong... And suddenly hating each other never felt so good.

Binding 13


Chloe Walsh - 2018
    On the rugby pitch, he's a force to be reckoned with. Primed for stardom, he's heading straight for the top. Nothing can possibly get in his way, right?Not even the shy new girl at Tommen College. The one with the sad eyes and hidden bruises. The one that distracts him like no one ever has.Plagued with a hidden injury and desperate to impress the scouts watching his every move, Johnny has been placed on a pedestal so high, he has no room to make mistakes.Striving to maintain balance, and on the crest of the International Summer Campaign, Johnny needs to keep his head in the game. He needs to stay focused, and cannot afford to let distractions get in the way of the bigger picture.But what happens when a lonely girl with sad eyes becomes the only picture?Life has never been easy for Shannon Lynch. Bullied and tortured, she arrives at Tommen College mid-way through the school year praying for a fresh start and desperate to shake off the demons that plague her.On her very first day at the prestigious private school, she comes into contact with the notorious Johnny Kavanagh.Thrown through a hoop over her feelings for him, and desperate to keep a low-profile, Shannon finds herself once again the target of bullies as she forms a fragile alliance with rugby's rising star.Falling into a complicated friendship and grappling with their undeniable chemistry, Johnny and Shannon must face obstacles that threaten their relationship.Two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks collide.Friendship, first love, rising fame, horrifying secrets, and pain all fuel together in Binding 13.Hearts are binding and lives are entwining in Binding 13.Binding 13 is the explosive first installment of a brand-new series from Chloe Walsh. Based in Ireland, the Boys Of Tommen series is bound to captivate and lure you into the world of rugby, love, and teenage heartbreak.

The Sinner


Kelsey Clayton - 2020
    She ruined my life in one fell swoop, and didn’t even have the heart to warn me.Now, nearly a decade later, I’m back in the town I grew up in, determined to make her pay.They say revenge is a dangerous game, but I’ve never been one to play it safe. There is nothing I’ll love more than to find her weakness and use it to destroy her. The lie she told all those years ago will be her undoing.Savannah Montgomery may be queen of the rich and entitled, but she’s about to meet her match. THE SINNER is a standalone and part of the Haven Grace Prep series. It contains angst, violence, and scenes that may be triggering for some readers. If you're looking for a sweet love story, this may not be for you.

Dare to Kiss


S.B. Alexander - 2014
    She’s on top of the world when Arizona State University approaches her to discuss a scholarship. To be the first girl ever to grace a college boys’ team is beyond what she has ever dreamed.Her fastball is impeccable, her curveball equally as good, and her slider annihilates anyone who dares to step in the batter’s box. But fate has its own way of throwing curveballs. When she loses her mother and sister to a home invasion, baseball and her dreams die with them. Tragedy has a way of seeping deep into her psyche, causing nightmares, panic attacks and blackouts. Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, her psychiatrist recommends a change of scenery and picking up the things that she loved to do, and for Lacey that is baseball.After a move clear across the country, only two things matter to Lacey—overcome her PTSD and make Kensington High’s baseball team. But trying out for the team comes with obstacles—the captain, Aaron Seever, doesn’t want a girl on the team. Her life is further complicated when she meets Kade Maxwell, a tall, sexy and drool-worthy bad boy who has a magical touch that awakens her feminine side and a kiss that slowly erases her nightmares. But getting involved with him may be dangerous when Kade’s archenemy returns to town to settle a vendetta. To complicate matters, her PTSD has taken a turn for the worse. She has to find a way to heal otherwise she may not have a chance at anything in life, especially love.This is a New Adult Novel and contains strong language and sexual content. Intended for audiences age 17+.

Finding Kyler


Siobhan Davis - 2017
    After her parent’s tragic death, she’s whisked away from her home in Ireland when an unknown uncle surfaces as her new guardian.Dropped smack-dab into the All-American dream, Faye should feel grateful. Except living with her wealthy uncle, his fashion-empire-owning wife, and their seven screwed-up sons is quickly turning into a nightmare—especially when certain inappropriate feelings arise.Kyler Kennedy makes her head hurt and her heart race, but he’s her cousin.He’s off limits.And he’s not exactly welcoming—Kyler is ignorant, moody, and downright cruel at times—but Faye sees behind the mask he wears, recognizing a kindred spirit.Kyler has sworn off girls, yet Faye gets under his skin. The more he pushes her away, the more he’s drawn to her, but acting on those feelings risks a crap-ton of prejudice, and any whiff of scandal could damage the precious Kennedy brand.Concealing their feelings seems like the only choice.But when everyone has something to hide, a secret is a very dangerous thing.Will I enjoy this book?Full of scandal, dysfunctional families, teen soap-opera-style angst and drama, secrets and lies, mean girls and catfights, lust and love, book one in the unputdownable Kennedy Boys series will have you flipping the pages’ way beyond bedtime! Only suitable for readers aged seventeen and older due to mature content and language. Please note this book contains a forbidden love theme featuring first cousins and a cliff hanger. It is not a standalone read.Books in this SeriesFinding KylerLosing KylerKeeping KylerThe Irish Getaway - optional short novelKENNEDY BOYS STANDALONE NOVELSLoving Kalvin- friends-to-lovers second chance romanceSaving Brad - enemies-to-lovers romanceSeducing Kaden - second chance/forbidden romanceForgiving Keven - second chance romanceThe three Kyler books must be read together. Thereafter, every book in the series will focus on a single Kennedy boy and his love interest, and they will be standalone titles with an HEA and no cliff hanger.

Runaways


Nicole Dykes - 2021
    . .You’ve heard about kids running away, but do we ever truly know why they run?Rae and Law had no choice. Forced to run when life let them down, when it was either leave or be subjected to an unimaginable fate.Can they survive?Two young people, completely alone on the streets with nothing but each other.This is their story.Can love win? Or will the big, bad world be even more cruel than what they had to face in their small hometown?For Raelynn Sanders and Lawson Davis, anything is possible as long as they have each other.Trigger Warning: this book deals with sensitive topics such as verbal and physical assault/intimidation. There is no rape, but some uncomfortable situations are mentioned and occur on page.

Wicked Idol


Becker Gray - 2020
    Iris Briggs gets under my skin. With her demure skirts and braided hair, she flits around the periphery until she runs right into me, hot coffee soaking me as she looks up with wide, innocent eyes.We start off scalding.In the library, we reach lava levels.And then in the city? She burns me to the ground.I’m Keaton Constantine. My duty is to my family. At least, it was until I started unbraiding the good girl and realizing there’s more to life than duty.

Devious Little Liars


Elle Thorpe - 2020
    Some of us are just better at not getting caught.”He murdered my uncle then covered it with fire. A fire that should have killed me, too. Instead, he hauled me from the floor while flames licked the walls, strong arms holding me close.He saved my life.Now I want to know why. I never saw his face. All I know is the letters on his shirt. SVH.Saint View High.The worst school in a hundred miles. Full of drugs and despair. Breeding ground for future criminals. Armed security guards and weapon checks at every door.A far cry from my privileged life of money, private school, and fancy vacations.With the police doing nothing, I take matters into my own hands. I enroll in a school I have no business being at.But the Untouchables are quick to let me know exactly how big a mistake I’ve made. They’re the group of boys even the teachers are scared of.Colt. Banjo. Rafe.Every teenage girl’s dream. Good looking. Popular. Powerful.And determined to break me.Thing is, I’m not that easily broken. And I’m coming for them, too.Devious Little Liars is the story of three bad boys and a girl who knows how to stand her ground. It is a mature high school/new adult, reverse harem, #whychoose romance, meaning the main character has more than one love interest. This book contains enemies-to-lovers and bullying themes. It is the first book in an ongoing trilogy.

Game On


E.M. Moore - 2019
     You see, the Ballers and I have a history. They play basketball. I play basketball. But they hate that I play basketball as good as them. And the only thing they hate more than that, is me. That’s right. I’m a girl, and I. Can. Play. Make no mistake about it. The Ballers can do their worst, but I will make it onto the RHS boys’ team. This is my last resort to make a name for myself, and I can’t let them interfere—even if the so-called kings of the school have declared war against me. Game On is a reverse harem high school bully romance novel.

Chasing Nikki


Lacey Weatherford - 2012
    Caught up in a world of drugs and alcohol, he doesn't notice time slipping away until he's arrested for underage drinking one night.Fed up with watching her son destroy his life, Chase's mom relocates him to live in a small ranching community with his ex-military grandfather. Chase is far from happy about the situation until he meets, Nikki, the cute cheerleader who won't give football players like him the time of day.Chase enjoys a good challenge though and sets out to claim Nikki for his own. He soon discovers she's more than a pretty face--she's a balm to his troubled spirit also. But when tragedy strikes Nikki's life too, suddenly Chase finds himself put to the ultimate test. Can he trust Nikki, and all that she's taught him? Will it be enough?

All the Little Lies


S.J. Sylvis - 2020
    The stone gargoyles sit at the school’s entrance, knowing just as much as anyone: I don’t belong. Once upon a time, I did. I belonged in the “it” crowd with all the other well-endowed kids, but now, I am no longer welcome. Not after five years away from this place. Not after the scandal that landed me on the wrong side of the tracks. I’d be lying if I said I’m not looking forward to seeing the one person who was always by my side. My old best friend. My safe place. Only, Christian isn’t the same boy I left behind. His cold, brooding, devastatingly attractive glare sends chills down my spine. My old best friend doesn’t welcome me with open arms, and I have no idea why. Lies continue to fall from our lips. Christian wants me gone. But I’m determined to stay.

The Touch of a Villain


Holly Renee - 2021
    Wealthy. Elite. Ruthless. The boys of Clermont Bay ruled over this town as if it was their kingdom. And Beck Clermont controlled them all. He was arrogant and conceited, and from the moment I met him, he had made up his mind about me. Dangerously handsome and wickedly cruel, he had no intention of letting me spend my senior year under the radar. The secrets of old money ran deep, and even though I barely knew them, the sins of my family had put a target on my back. He was a hurricane, and I was unprepared for the storm. His touch fatal. His impact irreparable. There was no negotiation. He stole my heart. Without warning, without permission. He was the enemy, but that didn’t stop me from falling for The Touch of a Villain.