Amber to Ashes


Gail McHugh - 2015
    Amber Moretti's life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world. They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high. Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath. Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul. They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally.Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men. Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained. But one event changes everything, shattering each of their lives…and Amber isn’t sure she can come back from it.

The Spiral


Charlotte E. Hart - 2018
    Caldwell, her sense of freedom begins to turn into an unconventional love lost in shadows and fog.And as chilling voices whisper words to cloud her judgement, and dangerous liasons bring terror and dread to the fore, she finds herself struggling to survive Blandemhyne's sinister misgivings regardless of its beauty.They say the dead never sleep, that they stalk this earth until retribution is served.That time has come

Take Me with You


Nina G. Jones - 2016
    A set of rules for myself. I don't take unnecessary risks. That's how I've been able to evade capture all these years.But there's something about this girl that is different than the others. When I finally meet her, the rules become a blur. And I break the most important one of all--I take her with me.-----It's just my imagination--that feeling of being watched. That those icy eyes-- a vivid turquoise with a distinct golden fleck--aren't watching me.It's just stress. I am the person everyone relies on. Maybe that's why I haven't been feeling so content with my life lately. Why I dream those eyes belong to someone who can tear me away from all of my responsibilities.But these are just shameful fantasies, never meant to breach reality.Then one night, the dream comes true, only it's a horrific nightmare.Now, I only have one task: survival.Trigger warning: If you need one, this is really not the book for you.

One Kick


Chelsea Cain - 2014
    Abducted at age six in broad daylight, the police, the public, perhaps even her family assumed the worst had occurred. And then Kathleen Lannigan was found, alive, six years later. In the early months following her freedom, as Kick struggled with PTSD, her parents put her through a litany of therapies, but nothing helped until the detective who rescued her suggested Kick learn to fight. Before she was thirteen, Kick learned marksmanship, martial arts, boxing, archery, and knife throwing. She excelled at every one, vowing she would never be victimized again. But when two children in the Portland area go missing in the same month, Kick goes into a tailspin. Then an enigmatic man Bishop approaches her with a proposition: he is convinced Kick's experiences and expertise can be used to help rescue the abductees. Little does Kick know the case will lead directly into her terrifying past…

Cut Too Deep


K.J. Bell - 2014
    A woman traumatized by her past, beaten, battered, and unwilling to trust.A man held captive by his greatest failure, lost, and self-destructive.Letters that unexpectedly bind them together.Is their bond strong enough to survive each other?As a web of deceit is revealed, will they be able to determine what’s real, and what’s worth fighting for? Or will they crumble under the weight of secrets that cut too deep?Can Miller forgive himself and move beyond his fear of failing the one he loves? Can Hadley accept the love she desperately wants but doesn’t believe she deserves?

Captive


Samantha Jacobey - 2013
    When you grow up with a Motorcycle Gang of Mercenaries and Drug Lords like the Dragons, a normal life is more like a fairytale. For years, she accepted her dark reality, a world consisting of drugs, sex, violence and murder. In the end, she learned the most valuable lesson: survival.After years of being ruled by the Dragons, Tori uses her skills of seduction and assassination to free herself from the grasp of the people who vowed they would never let her go. Taken in by the FBI, she fears not everything is what it seems, and soon finds herself lost in a web of lies and deceit. She thought getting away from the Dragons would put her on a path to a new and better life, but now she must face the cold hard truth” there is always a price to be paid. ˃˃˃ Excerpt "Quietly, he explained to her that he was going to arrange for another group to kill the Dragons and send her to live with someone who would take care of her. Not understanding, she asked why she would have to go with someone else. If the Dragons were dead, why couldn't she just go with him? He refused to explain, and simply said, "You are going to have a different life, baby girl. A life I cannot give you. You must be strong and willing to do whatever it takes to make this happen. Promise me you will do this...." ˃˃˃ Book 1 of 7 in A New Life Series This is the first in a series that chronicles the life of a young woman who is raised by a group of men who work as freelance mercenaries in the dark world of drug trafficking and murder for hire. They acquired the young woman at a very young age, as she has no memory of life before them. The book opens as she has broken free and moves through a series of current events and flashbacks that explain the beginning of her story. It is very dark with an unfinished feel, because in the end, the past is not the real story - the real story is what happens from here. ˃˃˃ WARNING: GRAPHIC SCENES This book is intended for readers 18+ and contains scenes that may cause distress to some readers: Domestic Abuse, Kidnapping, Rape and Substance Abuse are described in detail.

Cellar Door


Suzanne Steele - 2016
    Everything in me wants to scream out that it isn't fair he knows all of me--so I do. It isn't fair he's had months to stalk me like prey. Like a game of chess he's calculated every move. I am blinded by the darkness in this place I've come to term as the cellar. Now, I feel as if that same darkness inhabits my soul. I want to scream, to fight, to lash out--so I do. He has robbed me of my freedom, and my control. He will never rob me of my will to fight...

No Way Back


Chloe Adams - 2012
    She lives blissfully unaware of her family’s secrets, until the night she is raped by the son of her father’s greatest political ally.Her father forbids her from going to the police and threatens to throw her out if she does. It’s a critical election year, one that his party might lose, if the public sours on his doting father image when they realize his daughter is an underage lush and party girl. He can’t risk splintering the party in a nasty court battle that’s certain to draw way too much press, even if that means sacrificing his daughter.Mia’s world is shattered twice, once by the men who hurt her, and once by the betrayal of her family. She does what her father says. But the rapists strike again and beat their next victim near death.With the help of her best friend and a couple of unlikely allies, Mia must decide: does she risk losing everything to do what’s right? Or does she turn her back on the truth and preserve the family name?What’s privileged girl to do, when her perfect little world isn't so perfect anymore?

Breakaway


Ilsa Madden-MillsFarrah Farside - 2014
    He hits on her; she snubs him. The plane lands, but their journey is far from over…Bunsen Burner Bingo by Penny Reid: Katy Parker likes being the invisible girl almost as much as she obsesses over the campus golden boy, Martin Sandeke. But when she inadvertently overhears a nefarious plot about Martin, she'll have to overcome her fears and summon the courage to be seen.To Steal a Kiss by Pam Godwin: When petty thief, Addy Goldner, is caught with her hands in the pockets of a dark-eyed college boy on spring break, will he turn her in or punish her by stealing something for himself?Ricochet by Missy Johnson: He wasn't supposed to be anything more than a one-nighter to ease my broken heart...he also wasn't supposed to be my best friend's younger brother.Claiming Freedom by Dawn Robertson: Greyson Scott is exactly what Stella Lewis needs for a Spring Break to remember. But when the vacation is over and real life returns, she's shocked to learn he's one fling she can't seem to forget.Color Me Bad by Linda Barlow: Fleeing a dude with a shotgun, Rory McKay seeks help from bad boy townie, Griff O'Malley, only to learn that Griff may have murdered his last girlfriend.Invaluable by Alana Albertson: For Kyle Lawson, former NFL star turned Navy SEAL, a hot one night stand with a USO cheerleader ends in an early morning rescue mission. He will never win MVP, never get the Super Bowl ring, but some heroes don't play games.Bling Ring in Mexico by Carly Carson: When spring break fun turns into crime, Susanna must choose between chasing bling and chasing a hot dolphin trainer. But straight-arrow Joaquin has no intention of being the boy toy of his flighty classmate. Too bad lust has such a good grip on him.Contacts by Farrah Farside: Brooke thinks she's got the best she can get in Liam, but those closest to Brooke make her face the harsh truth: she's Liam's secret after-hours screw.Unbreakable by Nicole Blanchard: Stranded with her ex-boyfriend on an island during a storm, Rue Lawrence will either resist temptation...or surrender to it.Rained In by Cherie Blakeley: Stuck dog-sitting for her boss, Kiera Vane’s spring break plans are looking bleak. When a handsome stranger appears she panics, but soon discovers he’s the least of her worries.In a Daze by M-E Girard: Martie receives an invitation to a women-only evening from Daze, the girl she’s been obsessing over in class. She lands in a throwback to the ’50 butch-femme scene, and if Daze is the femme, then Martie better man up—and fast.

For Fallon


Soraya Naomi - 2014
    Fallon’s mask is real, what you see is what you get. Growing up with two loving parents in Chicago, graduating in Chicago, and now working a job she loves, she enjoys her life. Her untarnished world is shaken when Luca crosses her path. Luca’s mask is tightly controlled. Distrust, rivalry, and violence rule his life.When confronted with insecurities, when the one you love wears his mask perfectly, when your life unravels and you don’t know why, do you keep trusting the person you love? Everyone has a façade. Everyone has an ulterior motive.A contemporary romance/ romantic thriller in dual point of view. Contains sexual content and violence.

The Outskirts


T.M. Frazier - 2017
    Finn wants to forget he ever had one. After a tragedy, Finn Hollis escapesinto the swamp to be alone. That is until Sawyer Dixon shows up, all SCORCHING HOT innocence, claiming she owns the land less than fifty feet from his front door. Sawyer gets under his SKIN, but even worse? She makes him CRAVE things. Things Finn hasn’t thought about in a very long time. Finn WANTS Sawyer gone.Almost as much as he wants her in his BED.The swamp is about to get a whole lot HOTTER. The Outskirts was originally set to be a standalone. It is now book one of a duet. The Outliers is the title of book two.

Beastly


Laura Belle Peters - 2016
    I absolutely love Peters' voice. Her writing flows beautifully and she really does take us inside her characters. Wreckage was smart, sweet, and just a wonderful treat. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from Peters in the future." - Praise for Laura Belle Peters' debut novel, Wreckage. -My name is Tabitha Lowe. I'm eighteen, struggling my way through community college and living in fear of my father. I dream of something more, someone to light up my life. When I meet Beast in terrible circumstances - my father sells me to him for meth - I'm terrified, and confused at my strange attraction to the scarred-up man. Beast turns out to be a perfect gentleman, even when I wish he would ravish me - but when my father kidnaps me to sell me to a pimp, I don't need a gentleman.I need Beast.-Beastly is a stand alone New Adult coming-of-age novel, with hints of Bad Boy and a core of pure Romance. Laura Belle Peters deftly weaves together a tale with the passion and danger of an action film and the love and humor of the best chick-flicks.

The Shattered Girl


Leigh Christopher - 2017
    Destroyed. Beyond broken.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀After a lifetime of unbearable pain, all Tia wants is revenge—vengeance for all that was stripped from her. She’s been fed lies all her life, and it’s time to reveal all the truths hidden in the fragments of her mind. Her plan is in motion, and she knows where her target is, and what she has to do. But the darkness is the only thing stopping her, forcing her to question her own sanity. She can’t lose sight of her goal when it's in reaching distance. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Revenge is the only thing getting Braxton through the days, and nights. That is, until Tia knocks him off course and everything changes. His path becomes hers, and hers becomes his. But when secrets so damning are revealed they change the course of his plan.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Can he learn to trust this shattered girl?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Can the pieces of a broken mind ever be repaired?

The Perfect Neighbors


Sarah Pekkanen - 2016
    She’s adjusting to high heels, scrambling to cook dinner for her family after a day at the office—and soaking in the dangerous attention of a very handsome, very married male colleague. Kellie’s neighbor Susan Barrett begins every day with fresh resolutions: she won’t eat any carbs. She’ll go to bed at a reasonable hour. And she’ll stop stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi Kennedy seems to have it all together—except her teenage daughter has turned into a hostile stranger and her husband is running for Congress, which means her old skeletons are in danger of being brought into the light.Then a new family moves to this quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac. Tessa Campbell seems friendly enough to the other mothers, if a bit reserved. Then the neighbors notice that no one is ever invited to Tessa’s house. And soon, it becomes clear Tessa is hiding the biggest secret of all.

Don't Make Me Beautiful


Elle Casey - 2013
    If you liked the movie "Sleeping With the Enemy", then you might like this story too. No one knew a woman lived there or that she even existed. A monster, living in darkness...At twenty-two, Nicole doesn't even look human anymore. The beast made sure of that. So she hides. A monster, consigned to a life of fear and solitude. This is all she deserves, she is quite sure of that.  And then one day out of the blue, the autographed baseball caught by Brian Jensen at the latest Marlins game enters her prison and manages to turn her world completely upside down.Temptation comes in the form of pity at first, and then perhaps something more. Does she dare to believe the things she's told, that this is not the life she was meant to live? That being a monster is not her forever-fate? And will she be willing to risk everything, to reach out and accept the helping hands around her and share her deepest, darkest secrets? She knows only too well that hands can hurt. Finding out whether they can also heal is a risky proposition, especially when the beast is still out there. Looking for her.Content warning: Violence, foul language, and adult situations. Not meant for younger readers. A note from Elle about this book: A really long time ago, I read an article in a newspaper or a magazine (I haven’t been able to locate the original) about a woman who was so badly beaten over a long period of time, she couldn’t leave her house. I thought about that woman a lot over the years and about what her thoughts might have been, her fears, her reality … and this book was my attempt to both exorcise those thoughts from my brain and also shed some light on a subject —domestic violence— that I feel should never be left in darkness.