Book picks similar to
Cadence by Lisa Swallow


new-adult
romance
music
contemporary

The Girl in the Love Song


Emma Scott - 2020
    But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys...Miller Stratton is a survivor. After a harrowing childhood of poverty, he will do anything it takes to find security for himself and his mom. He’s putting all his hopes and dreams in the fragile frame of his guitar and the beauty he creates with its strings and his soulful voice. Until Violet. No one expects to meet the love of their life at age thirteen. But the spunky rich girl steals Miller’s heart and refuses to give it back. Violet McNamara’s life hasn’t been as simple as it looks. Her picture-perfect family is not so perfect after all. Her best friend Miller is her one constant and she is determined not to ruin their friendship with romantic complications. But the heart wants what it wants. As Miller’s star begins to rise to stratospheric heights, what will it take for Violet to realize that she’s the girl in all of his love songs?Lost Boys is a new series of interconnected, coming-of-age standalones from USA Today bestselling author Emma Scott, coming in 2020

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.***

The Bangover


Lili Valente - 2019
    Too bad I suck at taking it.If only Colin and I hadn't drunk so much whiskey, if only I'd kept that red bikini in my suitcase, if only his evil ex-girlfriend hadn't come sniffing around making me feel territorial and protective.Not that my bad boy rock star best friend is any help. Walking around looking ridiculously sexy, telling me I'm perfect in that panty-melting voice of his when we both swore we'd never do anything to put our friendship at risk. And Colin never breaks a promise.But then, he has no idea I've secretly been in love with him for years.I guess I should just enjoy the ride, but I can't stop thinking about what happens when this vacation ends and I head home alone, nursing one hell of a bangover...The Bangover is a red-hot, laugh out loud rom-com featuring two best friends on a collision course with Vegas-flavored disaster--and each other. It stands alone. No cheating or cliffhangers.

Less Than Nothing


R.E. Blake - 2014
    But her world flips upside down when she meets Derek – hot, tattooed, and charming, a singer from Seattle whose looks and talent take her breath away. What begins as a reluctant partnership quickly develops into a cross-country race against time - and awakens a hunger in Sage that’s unfamiliar and exciting. As they travel from coast to coast, Sage and Derek pursue their dream, only to discover that they can never run far enough to escape the demons from their pasts. Less Than Nothing is the breakout debut NA novel from USA Today bestseller R.E. Blake that critics are buzzing about and readers can’t put down. Sage & Derek's story continues in More Than Anything (book 2) and Best of Everything (book 3).

Dirty Secret


Emma Hart - 2014
    Now, though, she’s back in their hometown of Shelton Bay, South Carolina, at the same time Conner’s band Dirty B. is home on a tour break.Sofie Callahan has spent the months since her father’s death avoiding anything to do with her hometown. But with her brother in Afghanistan, she has no choice but to return and sort out her father’s house, even if it means facing the boy she fell in love with and revealing the reason she left.Conner has questions, and when his broken heart and her guilty one collide, Sofie has to start answering them. Their present is rocky, their future unknown. Only one thing is certain: Sofie’s daughter will change everything.

Wicked


Arabella Quinn - 2013
    Now 10 years later, Lena's dreams are haunted by x-rated fantasies starring the sexy hunk who has since become lead guitarist for the wildly popular band, Cold Fusion.Alex's world is turned upside down...When Lena reenters his life, she rocks his whole world. He'll do whatever it takes to hold onto her.Together...Their passions explode beyond their most wicked imaginings. But is that enough to overcome the many obstacles standing in their way?Warning: This book is for mature audiences only! It contains very explicit descriptions of sex and sexual acts.

Hot Southern Mess


T.A. Hardenbrook - 2014
    Down south, women were groomed to be the perfect trophy wives. One must be the total package, in order to catch a man that had sort of social ranking at the country club. To my parents and sister’s dismay, being sold off to the highest bidder in society wasn’t the life for me.Hi I’m Molly, and anything but the southern belle type. My hair isn't blonde and I don’t wear dresses. My shoe selection consists of my favorite chucks, and I’m lucky that I shower daily. I bite my nails and play guitar, and well my makeup regimen involves the very basics. I don’t hold any pageant titles and I’m entirely too awkward at social gatherings.So what does one do when her younger sister finds the man of her dreams and gets married? You suck it up and put on that horrible bridesmaid dress, and explain to everyone that you are perfectly content on living alone for the rest of your life. Then, you get the hell out of there. I just want to play my music and live my life, free of sparkles and crowns. Being twenty-five and not married wasn't the end of the world, in reality, it is just the beginning. I am not going to worry about finding “the one” till it finds me. One afternoon I walked right into all six-foot-three rock star of it, shit.Hi, my name is Molly, and I’m a complete Hot Southern Mess.

She Laughs In Pink


Jessica Calla - 2016
    Two things keep her from falling into a deep, dark place—dancing and her best friend, Ben. So when Ben decides to play football for New Jersey University, Juliet doesn’t hesitate. She follows. Finally away from her past, there is nothing to stand in the way. Juliet will win Ben's heart. Then she meets Ben's roommate, Chase. On probation and hell-bent on adhering to a “new life plan,” aspiring artist Chase leaves his New York City home for New Jersey University and meets Juliet before even stepping foot on campus. For him, their connection is instant. She’s the most vibrant girl he's ever seen. Her colors explode on his canvas, and he's never been more inspired in his life. Too bad she’s madly in love with his seemingly perfect, good guy roommate.

Rock King


Tara Leigh - 2018
    At least, that's what the headlines say about me. I have millions of fans, awards, more money - and women - than I know what to do with. But what you don't see is the wreckage I've caused. The memories and pain I can't escape, even when I pour them into music and spin them into gold.I tried to forget. To lose myself in booze and groupies. It didn't work. It hurt me and - worse - it hurt my band. That's the last thing I want to do, so I'm cleaning up my act... starting with Delaney Fraser.Gorgeous, smart, drama-free, and even nice - Delaney is the perfect "girlfriend." When I'm with her I don't have to pretend. It's like she sees the real me. And I can see a future with her. But that's dangerous. Because the truth is, Shane Hawthorne doesn't actually exist. He's a shield to hide who I really am. Fraud. Runaway. Addict. Murderer.And it's impossible to love a lie, right?The Nothing but Trouble series:Rock KingRock LegendRock Rebel

Jordan Reclaimed


Scarlett Cole - 2017
    When he was taken from his parents and a house that was never a home. When he met his brothers, the other lost and abandoned boys in his group home. When he learned what friendship and family and love looked like.Now he’s made a career out of playing the music he loves, touring the world with the band he and his brothers formed in that crowded group home. No one but his found family really knows the man under the fame and fortune, the scars he hides behind the rockstar lifestyle. Until he sees her through the windows of the National Ballet, dancing, and suddenly the world doesn’t seem so dark.Aleksandra Artemov ticks all the ballet boxes. Father a legendary Kirov dancer. Check. Prepping since birth for classical ballet. Check. Compulsive control over the food she eats. Check. Principal dancer at The National Ballet of Canada. Check. But what she craves is freedom.She craves Jordan.Everything about him should terrify her. His size, his tattoos, his hard rock edge. But he doesn’t. He stirs her very soul. Jordan has nothing but himself to offer her, and he's never been good enough for anyone. Can he figure out how to face his own demons before he loses his light for good?

After Midnight


Sarah Grimm - 2011
    After an automobile accident took her mother's life, Izzy hid herself away, surviving the only way she knew how. Now she is happy in her carefully reconstructed life. That is until he walks through the door of her bar...Black Phoenix singer/front man Noah Clark came to Long Island City with a goal — one that doesn't include an instant, electric attraction to the dark-haired beauty behind the bar. Coaxing her into his bed won't be easy, but he can't get her pale, haunted eyes nor her skill on the piano out of his head.Can Noah help Isabeau overcome the past? Or will her need to protect her secret force her back into hiding and destroy their chance at happiness?

No Tomorrow


Carian Cole - 2018
    They steal our breath.They steal our sanity.And we let them.Over and over and over again.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *They say you never forget your first love.Mine was a homeless musician who wandered straight into my soul.He was my first everything. And fourteen years later, I still can't get him out of my head.He broke all my rules.He also broke my heart.I watched him climb to stardom, cheering him on from afar.But I was never a fan; just a girl in love.Like a tornado, he spiraled, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.But love conquers all, right? It has to. Because here I stand, ravaged and ruined, needing it to be true.You can't go back, but I want to. Back to the park. Back to when he sang only for me. Before he was famous. Before he shattered my heart.I thought I knew everything about him.But I could not have been more wrong.He promised me every tomorrow. And here I am, waiting.And hoping.Again. _______________________ Note: This is not a fluffy, light read or a swoony romance. It's a journey of love between two people who can't let each other go, even though they are far from perfect. It's about loving someone who is struggling with mental illness and addiction and all the ups and downs that come with it. It's about finding a happily ever after that works between two people loving each other the best they can with patience, understanding, and unconditional love. Not everyone will agree with this kind of love and acceptance - but it exists, and it's real, and it happens every day.

Jax


Vivian Lux - 2015
    He's a screw-up. He broke my heart.He's my new stepbrother.Jaxson Blue is rock royalty: the son of one of the biggest names on the planet. He was my first...everything.Then he broke my heart in the most public way possible.I never want to think about Jax again.Too bad his music seems to follow me wherever I go.Now my hard-living roadie of a father is marrying Jax's rock star mother and the four of us have to co-exist in the same house for two weeks. Jax is still the same sexy, arrogant jerk I fell in love with, and I'm too weak to resist him for long.So I make a deal with myself.It's only until the wedding.It's only a fling. It doesn't mean anything.I'm not doing anything wrong...right?NOTE: All characters in this standalone novel are over the age of 18 and are not blood-related.