Book picks similar to
Pickpocket by Christa DeClue
abuse
action
alpha-hero
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Freeing Her
A.M. Hargrove - 2014
the story of two people who were meant to be together. Why? Because unknown to them, they shared terrifying pasts and the cruel circumstances of their births doomed both of them to a life of hell. Two strangers ... one night ... one accidental meeting that changed their lives forever. Gabriella Martinelli, Manhattan psychiatrist had only one goal in life—to help abuse victims avoid the horrors she’d experienced herself. She worked late, volunteered, and donated her services to anyone who needed them. Life was good ... until her nightmare resurfaced. He found her, and began stalking her, and she knew he wouldn’t stop until he destroyed every ragged piece of her.Kolson Hart, Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor, was ruled by his dark past. He liked control, from the boardroom to the bedroom and didn’t care to be involved with someone whose life was just as screwed up as his was. But one look at Gabriella short-circuited everything. Want ... desire ... need ... will sometimes drive a man to do things he swore he never would.He freed her from a life of fear ... When he couldn’t even save himself.
Shiver
Suzanne Wright - 2018
Instead, she has a mother who lives in her head, a stepfather who’s on death row, and the stigma that comes with being the child of an extramarital affair. Writing has always been her escape. Knowing the reception her books receive will be tainted by her personal life, Kensey secretly writes under a penname when she’s not working part-time at her godmother’s bar. Her world might not be exciting, but she likes it exactly as it is. When she meets alarmingly compelling businessman Blake Mercier, the snap of attraction is instant. She doesn’t like it. Doesn’t want to be drawn to this man who is blatantly dangerous, carries dark secrets, and lives life by his own rules. Neither of them make a great first impression on the other, so she’s more than surprised when he begins to pursue her with a single-minded focus that is unsettling, thrilling, and infuriating. Her gut tells her to keep her distance, but Blake won’t let her run. Won’t give her space. There’s another person who won’t give her space. Someone who has discovered the secret of her penname and who seems intent on taunting her. And as Kensey struggles to identify her persecutor, Blake is by her side, determined to keep her safe … because Blake Mercier always holds tight to what’s his. Always.
The Ritual
Shantel Tessier - 2021
You vow. We vow.Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one.People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom.I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want.After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.Things to know about The RitualIt is MFTRIGGER WARNINGS (Please see the author's note on the inside)J/P & OTT Hero (jealous/possessive & over the top)This is a 150K word dark romance and may contain triggers for some due to sexual situations, language, and violence.
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.
Stackin' Paper Part 5: Stay Schemin'
Joy Deja King - 2018
Amir's deception has made him an outsider to the man he respects the most. Will Father and Son ever see eye to eye again? Supreme, Nico, T-Roc and Lorenzo all team up for the greater good, to put an end to Arnez's reign of terror but is it too little too late? Caleb admires Genesis and wants nothing more to be accepted into his inner circle but will his ties to Genesis's arch enemy make that impossible? Precious has always been a woman who played by her own rules. But is she ready to change how she plays the game, to save her daughter Aaliyah? With the stakes so high, the only choice you have, is to Stay Schemin' in Part 5 of the Stackin' Paper Series.
Blame It on the Pain
Ashley Jade - 2016
It hurts us. It pushes us. It punishes us. Or, for the few poor souls out there like me...it defines us. I'm not a good person. There are no redeeming qualities about me...not anymore. Any that I had, I'd given to the devil on the night that changed everything. The night my baby sister died. The night I murdered her killer. Yes, I've taken a life...and I would do it again in a heartbeat. And I would never, ever, have an ounce of regret for being who I am. Until her. My name is Jackson Reid. There are two things you need to know about me. The first—is that I'm in love with Alyssa Tanner. The second—is that I'm a murderer. My name is Alyssa Tanner, but you probably know me as the whore who caused her step-father to lose the election for New York City Mayor. And you would be right- because the day the world branded me a slut I decided to become one. You think you know all there is to know about me because you've seen what I look like naked. Believe me, you haven't even cracked the surface. What you don't know—is my past, because I've been forced to keep it a secret to ensure my safety. What you don't know is my pain. Because if you did—you'd be dead. I bet you think you know how this story will unfold...but trust me, you really have no idea. Warning: Due to strong language, some violence, explicit sexual content, and some dark elements, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. This is a full-length, novel. (100,000+ words.)
Sugar and Skulls
L.M. Terry - 2020
A girl who dreamed of sunsets and roller skates. Until my grandparents died. Then I found myself alone in the world. One bad thing after another seemed to find me but I dealt. I dealt because a man with a black leather jacket and ink from head to toe told me how to survive this world. He told me sometimes you have to get mean. And so, I embraced my mean. I hated it at first but as time went on being mean became second nature.I rule my world, staying ahead, never stopping. You won’t find anyone like me. I’m Jesse Miller and I’m one of a kind.I’m fine on my own.Fine.Perfect.Good.Until, I’m not.DirkWhen I found Jesse at ten years old she was cute as a button and sweet as a jar of honey. I gave her a bit of advice to survive this world. I hated to be cynical, but she was in the foster care system. She needed to learn a little mean, otherwise she would be eaten alive.Now, I’ve found her again and believe me, Jesse Miller isn’t a little girl anymore. Seems she took my advice to heart. I may have created a monster. She’s a dark-haired vixen with a wicked mind and sharp tongue. Jesse is very, very enticing.She thinks she can do it on her own.She doesn’t have to.She has a family.A tribe.Me.She has me.Sugar and Skulls is a stand-alone novel. It is a dark romance, but I promise it does have a HEA. There is no cheating in this novel. It does contain dark content, including, but not limited to profanity, sexual abuse, and violence. It could possibly have triggers for some individuals.
Pike
T.M. Frazier - 2020
Baptized in the gutter. I was raised by the violent laws of the streets, spilling blood without the hindrance of useless emotions or connections.Unfeeling. Unloved. Alone.My life was perfect.Until her.While on a manhunt for a mysterious enemy, one hellbent on taking both my business and my life, I find Mickey. She's covered in mud, rambling nonsense, and clearly out of her mind. She's also a distraction I don't need.That is until I discover a connection between the girl and my enemy.Mickey isn't a distraction anymore.She's the perfect weapon.One I'll use to exact my revenge.The plan is an easy one, but there's something about Mickey that's making it more and more difficult. A familiarity I can't place. A need I can't explain.A want I have to deny.After all, she's not mine to keep. She's a tool. My pawn. My sacrifice.
Cloak and Dagger
Nenia Campbell - 2012
When a hacker breaks into their computer's mainframe, they send Michael out to finish off the loose ends. But so far, there's just one lead to go on. The hacker's daughter, Christina Parker.Christina seems like any other high school senior. And she is — until she gets kidnapped by a group of people who think she's the key to the malicious code that has infected their mainframe system and she is plunged into a world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred beyond all recognition and terror knows no bounds. What do you do when the odds are against you, and the stake is your life?As she quickly learns, there are good guys and there are bad guys. Sometimes Michael's one, sometimes he's the other--but usually he's both. And right now he's the only one who can save her.Cover design by Louisa.
Vines
Brynne Asher - 2016
When the opportunity arose, she settled in horse and wine country. Experiencing more than her fair share of tragedy and loss, she had plans for her future, one where failure wasn’t an option. And not just because people and cows were counting on her. She’d poured everything she had into her struggling vineyard, because once she’s in, she’s all in. After giving himself wholly to the job for ten years, Crew Vega was done. He’d fulfilled his commitment, done his duty, gone above and beyond to settle the score. And the score was high. All he had to do was train his replacements and he’d be out for good. He had a plan, one that didn’t include getting involved with his new neighbor, a woman who not only kept cows for pets, but treasured her employees as family, and understood him better than anyone ever had before. But when he learned a high level CIA target being investigated for treason was keeping tabs on her? No, he never planned on that. And like everything Crew Vega did in life, when he goes in, he’s all in. Warning: I’m a devout member of the mama club and don’t want to get kicked out by angry mamas. If you aren’t eighteen, turn around, go drink your milk and eat your veggies, it’s good for your bones. And go to bed early, you’re still growing, your body needs sleep. And don’t text and drive. And be nice, sit with the kid who sits alone at lunch. And read a PG-13 book, it’s good for your brain. And go tell your mama you love her. Chop-chop, run along now. I’ll see you back when you’re eligible to vote.
Fade to Red
Willow Aster - 2015
Her life with little Leo was blissfully ordinary; she didn’t have time for the drama that stirring up old memories would surely cause.But when Roxie took a spot on an international tour with Woods and rock icon Ian Sterling, the lure of financial security and her passion for dance pulled her into an emotional storm that threatened to spin out of control and hurt the ones she loved most.Just as she began to adjust to her new life, it became apparent that danger was in the shadows, waiting for a chance to move...***Fade to Red is a standalone novel featuring characters from True Love Story.***
Honor
Jay Crownover - 2016
Honor and conscience have no place in my life. But I've fought and I've survived. I've had to.The first time I saw her dancing on that seedy stage in that second rate club, I felt my heart pulse for the first time. Keelyn Foster was too young, too vibrant for this place, and I knew in an instant that I would make her mine. But first I had to climb my way to the top. I had to have something more to offer her.I'm here now, money is no object and I have no equal. Except for her. She's disappeared. But don't worry, I will find her and claim her. She will be mine.Like I said, don't be fooled. I am not the devil in disguise… I'm the one front and center.
Escape from Paradise
Gwendolyn Field - 2013
One spontaneous choice whisks Angela across the world to the pseudo paradise of Spain’s Mediterranean Riviera where she has another choice to make: live cooperatively as one of billionaire Marco Ruiz’s slaves, or die.* * *Colin Douglas’s future was seized and choked when deliberate tragedy struck his Scottish family at the age of sixteen. He spent his remaining youthful years infiltrating the U.K.’s crime world, seeking power, control, and revenge, all leading to a position as an undercover agent. With nothing to lose, Colin accepts the seemingly impossible job of rescuing America’s famous missing girl, Angela Birch. Colin knows that to enter a snake lair, one must become a snake. It turns out to be a mission which will put his desire for control to the ultimate test, and make him wish for things he never knew he wanted.*AUTHOR'S NOTE* Escape from Paradise is a work of fiction intended for adult readers, containing graphic sexual scenarios and strong language.
River Wild
Samantha Towle - 2019
A new identity. Pregnant and alone. And far away from a past that can never find me. River Wild.Moody. Sullen. Jerk.And my new neighbor.I have no interest in befriending River. And he definitely doesn’t want to be befriended by me.Then, he helps me rescue an abandoned dog. And, that day, I see something in his eyes that reflects back in my own. Sadness. Pain. Loneliness.I know all of those things well.An unwanted and unexpected friendship that somehow works. Then, without warning, it turns into something more.River and I both have our secrets, and that’s okay. Because I understand him. And he understands me.For the first time in my life, I have something I never thought I would have—happiness.But happiness isn’t forever. Not for people like me.Especially not when my past is waiting just around the corner, ready to come and take it all away.
Slammer
Tabatha Vargo - 2015
Ten years later, the boy he used to be is gone. In his place is the shell of a man with murder under his belt. Any emotion he once had was left under the gavel when he was given life in prison. That is until the new nurse in the infirmary joins the block. Putting your hands on a prison employee will get you the hole, but some things are worth their punishment, and something tells him Lyla will be worth more than he bargained for. Lyla Evans isn’t sure about her new job at a maximum security prison, but showing uncertainty and weakness isn’t an option. Taking care of murderers and rapists isn’t ideal, but survival is key. She’s warned ahead of time about a prisoner named X, but when she’s attacked, it’s the dangerous X that saves her. Fraternizing with the prisoners is forbidden, but sometimes the most forbidden things are the sweetest.