Book picks similar to
Dark at the End of the Tunnel by Christopher Bollas
babel_psychology
contemporary
dnf
english-literature
Better than you
Brynn bunker
Both at the top of their class, holding themselves to the highest standards; both captains of their volleyball teams, Logan as the girls captain, Noah as the boys; and both constantly playing seemingly harmless pranks to get back at one another. Or, at least, they're usually harmless...If one thing is true, Noah Locke and Logan Pierce are not friends.But does that mean they could never be friends? Or transcend their title as enemies?Logan might take things too far sometimes, but there's a reason behind the angry front she puts on, and in order to get behind it, someone needs to show her that there's more to life than being the best at everything.Cue Noah Locke.When the two volleyball teams are sent away to a team bonding camp for a week over Fall break, Logan and Noah must learn to get along for the sake of their teams. Partnered up and made to do activities together and bond, the goal is for Noah and Logan to stop this ongoing feud. And when something happens at the bonding camp that brings Logan's vulnerable side up to bat, Noah is the one who has to bring her back.While Logan and Noah explore something other than hatred for one another, there are secrets and people who could be working in toll to bring them apart. But will they be able to transcend those factors and stop fighting for once? Or were they destined to be enemies forever?"Better Than You" challenges the idea that enemies have to stay enemies forever, and proves that if you don't run away from love, you may just find where you were meant to be.
Just Love Me
Shenaé Hailey - 2019
From her college choice down to the flowers she'd have on her wedding day and what she'd name her children. With just a few days left before her thirtieth birthday, Hailey is in a sour mood. Her perfectly planned path has been horribly shattered by fate. Not only is she divorced, but she doesn't have any children, and she hasn't put her degree to use since she received it. Kane Travis has never been one to force anything. He's preferred going with the flow to avoid disappointment. Right after his thirtieth birthday, Kane finds himself taking inventory of all that he's accomplished in life. He doesn't regret much that he's missed out on because of his laid-back attitude, but there is one thing he's consistently regretted - not pursuing Hailey as actively as he desired to. Ten years ago, Kane and Hailey met and instantly clicked. Because of Hailey's strict plans for her life, she refused to entertain the thought of settling down with any man before finishing college. With Kane believing in things happening in their own timing, he offered what they considered to be the perfect solution - meeting up for Hailey's thirtieth birthday if they're both still single. There's just one problem - life has changed them both… and neither can say if it's for the better. Two old friends, one cabin, and zero chances of their lives not being changed. Will their old flame reignite and burn more passionately than it ever has, or will reconnecting be as impossible as capturing scattered ashes?
Stamina
Romi Hart - 2020
Unstoppable. Sexy as f*ck.They are 9 rugged bad boys with unstoppable stamina.Bad boy superstars who own the pitch and don't leave until they win BIG.They are aggressive with their explosive stamina and relentless staying power on and off the field!Some are sexy and charismatic, some are brash and cocky.They are Rey Ramirez, Nate Jiggur, Jett Johnson, Alex Cantrell, Ryan Romero, Marc Winters, Jordan Dennison, Dex Collier, and Adam Channing.These naughty players are here to play their best game yet, hit the right spots and make things wet!They are rough, rugged and ready to play dirty.Will these bad boys find their perfect match or someone who can tame them?Stamina is a complete collection of 9 panty-melting, scorching hot bad boy romance books. No cheating, no cliffhangers, plenty of steam and a guaranteed happily ever after.
A Year of Wednesdays
Sonia Bahl - 2019
Two strangers, seat 7A and seat 7B, who have nothing in common. Absolutely nothing. Except they are both hoping the seat next to theirs remains empty. It doesn't. Mid-flight turbulence and infant incontinence forces them to interact—the cool wall Street guy and the mom-with-the-drool-stained-sweater-and-ordinary-aspirations. Blistering wit, opposing views, and some unexpectedly poignant admissions keep them addictive engaged and hopelessly sleep deprived through the fifteen-hour journey. Touch down... And they leave the cabin without a backward Glance, jumping right back into their dramatically different lives. Never to meet again. But somehow they continue to travel together—interlocked forever through an inexplicable connectedness. Can one meeting change everything forever? The Japanese have a term for it: ichi-go ichi-e. One time, one encounter, lasts a lifetime.About the AuthorBorn and raised in Kolkata, Sonia has lived and worked in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Jakarta, Miami, Brussels, Johannesburg, and Singapore. With home being everywhere and nowhere, her belief in the power of the moment became a religion. An affirmation that unexpected and undeniable human connections are everything. Meanwhile, on the work front, she spent a huge chunk of her life, her days, and sleepless nights, in advertising—writing ads for all things from coffee and cars to condoms and candy—while dreaming of morphing 30-second commercials to full-length feature films. Not surprisingly, she threw caution, and her full-time job as creative director, to the winds and embarked on a riveting rejection-filled screenwriting journey in the US. Finally her day job entails writing movies! In a recent, delightful plot twist, her debut novel, The Spectacular Miss, was optioned by a leading Bollywood studio and she was commissioned to write the screenplay. Sonia writes and re-writes in Singapore where she lives with her menagerie: gorgeous itinerant daughter, honorary proofreader husband, and her made-for-the-movies golden retriever, Ari Gold.
Shadows in the Dust
Suzanne Cass - 2021
The last thing Dan needs is trouble, after his time spent in jail. Can they let go of their pasts to defeat a killer in the harsh outback desert? Jenna Montrose is on the run from the man who killed her father. Alone and always moving from town to town, Jenna trusts no one, not even the cops. She arrives in remote Smokey Creek, outback West Australia, where she takes a job as a jillaroo on a cattle station. Perhaps this time her archenemy won’t be able to find her. Dan Simmonds has demons of his own to conquer, having spent two years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. He needs to keep this job to re-build his reputation. But he can’t seem to shake the protective instinct Jenna awakens when he sees through her lies to her desperate vulnerability. She’s so full of contradictions, he’s not sure she’s worth figuring out. When they become trapped together in the desert, Dan admits she provokes emotions he thought buried deep. Jenna is drawn to Dan’s courageous heart and welcoming smile, but desperate not to reveal her secret, will she revert to her habit of running away when the murderer reappears? Or will she let him help her, and turn the hunter into the hunted? Suzanne Cass’s rural suspense abounds with peril, passion and murder, set in the magical outback desert of Western Australia. Get Shadows in the Dust today if you love an intriguing thriller with romance at its core.
Going Under Complete Duo
Georgia Cates - 2015
Growing up in less than desirable circumstances has made him no stranger to the hard knock life but his determination to leave it behind is fervent. He sees an opportunity to snag a college football scholarship when he’s transferred to East Franklin High School but Forbes Henderson has other plans. The player Jesse intends to replace doesn’t plan on giving up his spot as starting quarterback so a rivalry is born. Jesse is determined to show his nemesis that he’s not only going to take his position as first string quarterback, he’s going to take his girl, too. Claire Deveraux is perfection at its best. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and unaware she just became Jesse Boone’s conquest to settle a score with her boyfriend. Like her flawless performance as the perfect daughter and student, Claire’s production of being the perfect girlfriend has everyone fooled, except Jesse Boone. She fears this tattooed bad boy will see her secret desire to explore his crude threats and promises of rocking her perfect world. If she decides to give in to one uninhibited moment with Jesse, will she learn too late that it was all an act of vengeance or will Jesse learn that the taste of first love is sweeter than that of revenge? Shallow- Nick Hawke wants his car fast and his girls faster. He blows through them quicker than his muscle car races down the drag strip in Collinsville and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s determined to avoid the devastation he has watched his father endure in the aftermath of his mother’s abandonment. He believes there is no room in his life or his heart for a relationship lasting more than one night. He seeks happiness in things that won’t let him down––fast cars, adrenaline highs, and one night stands. All of that changes when he unexpectedly runs into an old friend and is introduced to Payton Archer, the first girl he ever wanted for more than a night. There’s only one catch––she’s completely immune to him and his smooth talking ways. Payton Archer is looking for love––the true, mad, deep kind. She’s given up on finding it, at least until she leaves for college because she’s certain that is where she’ll find the ideal guy to fit into her perfect world. Her summer plans include nothing more than three uneventful months of fun but it turns out to be anything but ordinary when Payton meets Nick Hawke, one of Jesse’s old Collinsville friends. She’s shocked by her immediate and intense attraction for “Hawke” because nothing about him is on her checklist for the perfect love. Sure, he’s hot and sexy but he comes from Collinsville and that is definitely not on her list of prerequisites. Everything about him makes Payton’s heart speed. He’s exciting and dangerous but his fast car and chance taking aren't what scares Payton the most. It’s the way Nick Hawke makes her feel every time he looks at her. Can Payton find the courage to leave the safe, shallow end of love and risk going under completely?
Bay Area Bad Boys: Box Set
Stasia Black - 2017
So he wants her to answer emails with her shirt off. So what? She worked at Hooters for years to get herself through college and it's not that much different. But when his demands get more and more invasive and he begins toying with her in front of his business rival, Jackson Vale, the job that was just supposed to pay for the lawyer in her son's upcoming custody hearing starts becoming more than she ever bargained for. PLEASE ME: The conclusion to Crush Me. Callie's determined that no man will ever have the power to hurt her again. But the path to getting her life back on track is messier than she ever expected. Especially when the man she thought she'd left behind is ready to fight for her every step of the way. But can a woman like her, having gone through the things she's experienced in her life, ever truly expect a happily ever after? WOMAN NAMED RED: (in the Crush Me universe, interacting with the previous characters) Kennedy: Her name was Scarlet and she burst into my life as an explosion of color as bright as her name promised. But don’t get confused. This isn’t a love story. I don't do love. No, this is a story about a woman with a fiery temperament and passion for life to match her name. She and I were combustible together. Which means maybe we were always meant to burn to the f*@king ground. Warning: All three of these novels contain dark themes and potential triggers which may be distressing to some readers.
The Popcorn Prince
Johanna Evelyn - 2018
Amy has officially put dating on the back burner after a string of noncommittal relationships. But when she accidentally brushes her hand against a handsome stranger's one night at a movie theater, her heart decides it has other plans—until she realizes her handsome prince brings a new girl to the theater almost every weekend. This doesn’t stop her from admiring him from afar, while she and her twin brother make up outlandish stories about him every time he comes to the theater. But when their worlds collide, she needs to decide if she will open her heart and take another chance on a man, or push him away after she’s done with his services. Steven has waited months to ask out a girl he’s only had a few brief interactions with. But every time he tries, she runs away from him. His coworkers step in with a plan to put his bachelor days behind him. But the fun and games come with a price tag, as his Cinderella stands to lose something much more valuable than a glass slipper. Other titles by this author: The Billionaire Club Series The Billionaires Secret The Billionaires Conflict Excerpt from this book: “She moved to the edge where the prince was still standing. His eyes were bright as she stepped next to him then her mind went blank as panic set in. This man was on a date with another woman. She was crazy. She stood awkwardly trying to form a coherent sentence. He smiled down at her and her heart skipped at the satisfaction in his eyes. “I left your hot sauce at home,” he said, breaking her awkward silence. She gasped at his unexpected words, shifting uncomfortably. She needed to pull it together. She felt like an awkward teenager. “Didn’t I see you with someone?” she asked, grasping at anything her brain could find in her muddied state. “She’ll be back in a minute.” He glanced back to the restroom and Amy followed his gaze. “I’m sorry about that,” Amy said the next thing her scattered mind thought of. He lifted an eyebrow at her, a smile playing at the edge of his lips. “That my date will be back.” She laughed out loud before cupping her hand to her mouth. She dropped her hands in embarrassment. “No, sorry. I’m sorry for throwing popcorn at you.” “That was definitely unexpected.” She bit her bottom lip, unsure of what she should ask next. If she ever needed saving, now would be perfect timing. Too bad she didn’t have twin telepathy.”
Mystery Man Secret
Lauren Wood - 2021
He’s mouth-watering and irresistible. Powerful, commandeering, completely ripped, and unbelievably sexy.A talented, well-known lawyer who knows how to get exactly what he wants.The perfect recipe for any woman’s ideal man. Except me, apparently.For one, I’m a virgin. I may have everyone convinced I’m some wild, promiscuous party girl,But the truth is, I’ve never gone all the way before.Well, until last night anyway.It was the night my father announced my forced engagement to Brett Hughes.Arranged marriage still isn’t a thing of the past in my wealthy, socialite family.I swore I’d do everything in my power to sabotage the whole arrangement.But apparently, I took it too far.I wake up in a hotel room that is not mine,With the most delicious, vivid memories of a perfectly sculpted body writhing over me.Had I really thrown my first time away on some drunken one-night stand?Or is it just a vivid, sexy dream that keeps playing over and over again in my mind?Either way, spontaneously losing my virginity to someone else was not a part of the plan.Neither was falling in love with Brett...right around the same time I discover I’m pregnant.Like it or not, I’m falling for Brett—the man I’m supposed to marry.But how can I even begin to wrap my head around what that might mean…If I’m secretly pregnant with another man’s baby?
The Nightmare Ex-Boyfriend Before Christmas: A modern day Christmas Carol
Devon Hartford - 2019
It’s also the epicenter of our past scandal that nearly killed me and my parents when it broke.Trust me, it made the local TV news every night for two weeks. One night, it went national.Guess who never left King City?Channing.The curb turd.As relentless as he was on the field, I would’ve thought he’d go on to play in the NFL. He never did. Knee injury. Oh, the cliche.Small pond, meet big fish.Only this fish has grown bigger than anyone ever expected, built up his own business empire. Turns out he’s better at business than he ever was at football, and that’s saying something. Despite his knee injury, he managed to keep his college football body, abs and all. Wherever he goes, it’s raining money and marriage proposals.When he finds out I’m home for the holidays, he just has to come knocking at my parents’ house bearing meaningless gifts.News flash, unless he’s hoping for an immaculate conception, he has another thing coming, and it definitely won’t be me.
Twenty-nine going on Thirty
Andaleeb Wajid - 2018
Living in Bangalore with her best friend, Farida, and working as the social media head of a software firm, she's weighed down by the thought of becoming a responsible thirty-year-old. To add to this, sge also has to fend off her nother's persistent queries about when she intends to get married. Things begin to look up when Priya bumps into her charming new neighbour, Ajay. Sparks fly, but she soon finds out that he's a widower who has some baggage to deal with.Thabkfully, Priya finds comfort in the fact that her friends Farida, Mini and Namrata are approaching the three-O milestone too. Free-spirited Farida, shy Namrata, feisty Mini and Priya are brought together by family drama, boy trouble, and their fast-approachung birthdays. As they navigate love and friendships, they realise there's a difference between growing up and growing old....
Wicked Hot Medicine: Boston's Elite
Tess Summers - 2021
Evan Lacroix couldn't refuse.Except, it turned out she wasn’t his wife—she was his sister.Oh, the irony. It made it that much sweeter.Unfortunately, when Hope realized his intentions, she didn’t appreciate being a pawn in his game, and the sassy spitfire turned the tables on him.Evan never saw it coming.And now he needs to decide which is more important—love or revenge.This isn’t a book about enemies to lovers. It’s about enemies with benefits—until the line between enemy and lover gets blurred.
Blackmailed by the Billionaire: Passionate Contemporary Romance
Lucy Monroe - 2022
Worse, he expects her to be something she's not. He doesn't just want a wife, he wants a society hostess and for this introvert, that sounds more like torture than wedded bliss.Alastair doesn't understand why Charlotte called off the wedding and he's still smarting from the humiliation of being the center of the media frenzy and the butt of his family's jokes. A powerful billionaire tycoon, he isn't used to anyone laughing at him. He's determined to marry the woman that got away and just like any good takeover, he's stacked the deck in his favor.The intense passion between these two adds spice to marriage that is far more than a business contract, but it will take love and honesty to make it last.
Not Just Another Billionaire (When a Billionaire Loves a Woman Book 1)
Emma Kingsley - 2018
Now she's focused on her career and her efforts have finally paid off. A trip to Aspen with her best friend seems like a perfect way to celebrate her big promotion at Marshall Resorts. But meeting the most gorgeous man she has ever seen under awkward circumstances is definitely not a part of her plan. If that’s unexpected, discovering two weeks later that the breathtaking stranger is her new CEO is outright unimaginable. Logan Marshall distanced himself from the drama of his dysfunctional family years ago. But when he’s called back to save the Marshall Resorts after a traitor sold their secrets to a competitor, he can’t let his great-grandfather’s legacy go down in flames. As if taking charge of the family firm in the middle of a scandal wasn’t enough to process, he’s faced with the fact that one of his new employees is the woman he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about since their embarrassing first encounter in Aspen. The atmosphere is tense, the environment is hostile, but when two people are so perfect for each other as Emily and Logan are, can anything stop them? Clean, inspirational romance novella.
Shifter Nanny Agency Collection
Celeste Raye - 2019
Help comes in the form of supernatural nannies; women brave enough to wrangle rambunctious pups and stand up to their growling bosses when needed. But when duty is overrun by desire, and loyalty grows into love, their tough, complex job becomes a recipe for passion—and disaster.
Book One
Chris needs a nanny who won’t ask dangerous questions.Fran is young, homeless, and draped in designer clothes.Both are keeping secrets—but whose will catch up with them first?
Book Two
For Laura’s coven of witches, the only good shifter is a dead one.Laura agrees, until the day she meets her new boss, John…But darkness is gathering, and as every witch knows: loyalty comes before love.
Book Three
Every nanny in town says Brett’s kids are hellions,But saintly Mona could be the answer to their prayers.She can send the kids to the naughty corner, but how will she face an evil mastermind?
Book Four
Shane has lost his wife, son, and self-respect,Until Vanessa appears with shocking news, and a second chance.
Shane might find his vengeance, but the biggest demons could be inside his own heart.
Sometimes the path to the true, eternal love is only found through darkness. These shifters have been burned by love in the past and tucked their hearts behind high, jagged walls. But for all their strength, it’s impossible to ignore the need in their bodies or the yearning of their souls. They’re about to meet their fearless mates, and each is wielding a wrecking ball.
Warning: Adults Only