Book picks similar to
Beautifully Awake & Beautifully Done: The Box Set by Riley Mackenzie


contemporary-romance
contemporary
angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama
hero-protective

Broken


J.B. McGee - 2012
    She is surrounded by friends who seem to have everything she doesn't: money, social standing, and happily married parents. While dealing with the loss of her mother, she experiences her first heartbreak. She commits herself to her studies and runs away from any emotions that aren't safe. Bradley Banks, a confident CEO and commercial architect, who has long time commitment issues forces Gabby to feel again, but will he be her next heartbreak?

Imperfect Love


Isabella White - 2015
    Everything a girl could want; a beautiful man, a stunning home, as well as being in the midst of preparing for the wedding of her dreams. This all vanishes the night she catches her fiancé, Brandon Morgan, in bed with her worst nightmare, Donna Sinclair, just a week before Holly is set to walk down the aisle. Attempting to recover from his betrayal, Holly swears off the affections of men in order to pick up the pieces of her crumbling life. Unfortunately, meeting Jake 'Hooligan' Peters is not part of her plan. The tall, dark-haired and handsome as hell med student, sweeps Holly away from the pain of her past and reveals to her the bright future that lies ahead. That is, until she falls pregnant just as Jake begins his internship at P&E; his family's hospital. Will this love at first sight lead her to the fairytale she has always craved? Or, will she fall victim to a betrayal of the heart yet again?

Five Feet Apart


Rachael Lippincott - 2018
    At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?

Jake: MMA Alpha Fighter Brotherhood


J.S. Cooke - 2015
    At school he fought his bullies and since then he's been fighting to prove himself to the man who put him there. As a successful self made, wealthy MMA fighter, he has nothing to prove other than what he believes must be done. Now he finds another reason to fight. Another reason to live for. The man who could have any woman only wants one. But is Cassie, the girl who is studying to become a lawyer, the right woman for a tattooed cage fighter? When she becomes an octagon girl out of necessity to make ends meet and is thrown into the same ring as Jake, she finds herself holding much more than a ring card. She is holding her future in her hands and her heart. This is a Standalone Story with No cliffhanger ending. WARNING: This book contains graphic language, sex and violence. It is intended for mature readers only. MMA Alpha Fighter Brotherhood Series: These are the stories of the young men who are as brothers to one another. Fighting for the glory of their win in the ring but also with the baggage they have carried from childhood of the expectations of their families and friends. Each is looking for love, often in the wrong places. Their stories and those of the women who steal their hearts are interconnected but each can be read as a standalone story without the others. The first in the series is JAKE. BROCK is book 2 and JAGGER is the 3rd story with more books planned and plotted. Join my newsletter to find when the next book is ready...

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between


Jennifer E. Smith - 2015
    Over the course of twelve hours, they retrace the steps of their relationship, trying to find something in their past that might help them decide what their future should be. The night leads them to family and friends, familiar landmarks and unexpected places, hard truths and surprising revelations. But as the clock winds down and morning approaches, so does their inevitable goodbye. The question is, will it be goodbye for now or goodbye forever?Charming, bittersweet, and full of wisdom and heart, this irresistible novel from Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, explores the difficult choices that arise when life and love lead in different directions.

I Remember You


Cathleen Davitt Bell - 2015
    Then there's Juliet, straight-A student and rigorous debater, whose college trajectory has been carefully planned for years. They couldn't be more different. But from the moment Lucas sees Juliet, he swears he remembers their first kiss. Their first dance. Their first fight. In fact, Lucas knows everything that's going to happen between them - not because he can predict the future, but because he claims to have already lived it.Juliet doesn't know whether to be afraid for herself - or for Lucas. Because as Lucas's memories occur more frequently, they also grow more ominous. All Juliet wants is for Lucas to be safe with her in the present. But how do you hold onto someone you love now when they've begun slipping away from you in the future?

Kiss Me, Dancer


Alicia Street - 2011
    Dance instructor Casey Richardson takes an immediate dislike to the brash, arrogant Drew Byrne when he pulls his nine-year-old son out of her “silly” dance class. Still, she cannot help noticing his smoking hot body and bedroom eyes. A working class girl raised in the small fishing and farming community on Long Island’s rural North Fork, Casey knows all too well how easily a girl can get hurt by the notorious womanizing hunks that flourish on the South Fork in the Hamptons. Men like Drew Byrne. The last thing she needs is for him to be the only one who can save her from losing her dance academy, the dream she has worked so hard to turn into a reality.Remarrying is definitely off Drew’s list of things to do. As head of his Fortune 500 trucking company, he enjoys his wealth and has no problem keeping it a game with some of the world’s most beautiful women. So why should his son’s challenging, straight talking dance teacher get under his skin in a way no other female has? Sure, Casey Richardson has luminous brown eyes and a lean, taut body that drives him nuts, but he’s seen plenty in his day with the supermodels he is used to dating. He tells himself it is because Casey is the only one who was able to bring his shy, uncommunicative son out of his shell. But even that isn’t it. Bewildered, Drew decides he just might make use of those ridiculous psychic readings he won at North Cove’s Annual Fourth Of July Bazaar raffle. Little does he know the local psychic who donated the readings has taken off last minute for some trekking in Tibet —and Casey was swayed into substituting for her with phone readings to the anonymous winner. Add in a stint on a hit TV dance-off series, a cozy local coffee shop, a narcissistic rock star and a protective big brother to make KISS ME, DANCER a sexy, heartfelt and fun read.In addition to being part of today’s Indie author movement, Alicia and Roy Street are also traditionally published (under another penname). In 2009 they received a Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

Dramatic, Mushy, Complicated Love


Leah Sharelle - 2021
    Yep, that’s my name believe it or not. My parents may be strange, but they raised my sister, younger brother and me to be independent, strong and to be our own people. Add to those qualities, I was also a tad dramatic, slightly complicated and a whole lot mushy. Whatever. I like who I am.Love has not been mean to me, but neither has it been kind. Until one day, when a hot sexy spunk with a smirk that lit me up from the inside caught my attention. Luca quickly became my everything. Yes, we had issues here and there, and yeah, his family hated me, but love always won out in the end. Right?Luca Massimo Donatella. I was name for my father and my grandfather, raised to be as great as them. Family always came first, my mother the most important being in my life. Until a blonde stunner came sashaying into my life and flipped it on its head.Meadow broadened my way of seeing life, she showed me fun was just as important as being responsible . She gave me the chance to be the man I always wanted to before life got complicated by the death of my father. She taught me how to love from the deepest part of my heart. She was my game changer. Then the game dramatically changed in a way neither of us saw coming.

Fight or Flight


Samantha Young - 2018
     The universe is conspiring against Ava Breevort. As if flying back to Phoenix to bury a childhood friend wasn't hell enough, a cloud of volcanic ash traveling from overseas delayed her flight back home to Boston. Her last ditch attempt to salvage the trip was thwarted by an arrogant Scotsman, Caleb Scott, who steals a first class seat out from under her. Then over the course of their journey home, their antagonism somehow lands them in bed for the steamiest layover Ava's ever had. And that's all it was--until Caleb shows up on her doorstep.When pure chance pulls Ava back into Caleb's orbit, he proposes they enjoy their physical connection while he's stranded in Boston. Ava agrees, knowing her heart's in no danger since a) she barely likes Caleb and b) his existence in her life is temporary. Not long thereafter Ava realizes she's made a terrible error because as it turns out Caleb Scott isn't quite so unlikeable after all. When his stay in Boston becomes permanent, Ava must decide whether to fight her feelings for him or give into them. But even if she does decide to risk her heart on Caleb, there is no guarantee her stubborn Scot will want to risk his heart on her....

Stone Brothers Complete Series


Tess Oliver - 2015
    A brutal childhood hardened him to the idea of any type of emotional attachment to anyone. When he becomes the unwitting accomplice in Jade Morrow's escape from an abusive boyfriend, he soon finds that he'll do anything to keep her safe. Has Colt found the one girl who can break through to his impenetrable heart? When she runs away from her monstrous boyfriend, Jade Morrow has no place to go and no one to turn to. She accidentally lands in the arms of a handsome, tattooed stranger. Colt Stone is as formidable as he is appealing and Jade soon finds that he's equally hard to resist. When her troubled past catches up to her, Jade discovers just how far Colt will go to save her. Book 2: Heart of Stone A bitter, dark childhood has left Hunter Stone hardened to the world around him. Giving his heart to anyone, even Amy Linton, the woman he cares most about, is impossible. Hunter will do anything for Amy, anything, that is, except commit. At the same time, he can't tolerate any guy getting close to her. But Amy is tired of being his 'go-to' girl and now Hunter faces the prospect of losing her for good. Amy Linton has loved Hunter Stone since childhood, a childhood that was nearly as grim as the one Hunter and his brothers endured. She can't imagine a life without Hunter but mentally, he remains distant and even cold.She needs more, and if he can't return her love, she is determined to break free of the hold Hunter Stone has on her heart and her life. Book 3: Stone Deep Slade Stone needs to straighten out his life. It's time, he decides, to get a real job, steer clear of trouble and think about a future. But his good intentions go completely awry when Britton Henley stumbles into his life and his heart. Now, like it or not, Slade is in deep. Britton Henley is still reeling from the unexpected death of her twin sister and for her, there is no closure until she finds out what happened. The last thing she expected on her path to find answers was to lose her heart to Slade Stone. Contains mature content. Intended for readers 18+

Hers Series Box Set


Dawn Robertson - 2014
    I am lonely. I am a slut. I am strong. I am Dominant. I am independent. I am Seven James. My entire life, no one has wanted me, and that was fine, because I sure as shit didn't need anyone else. Blah, Blah Blah, insert sad story here about negligent parents, and shitty siblings, and you have my life story in a nut shell. When my college boyfriend dumped me, it was just icing on the cake. Five years, and a booming career later I am here to collect my revenge. That was until a delicious plaything walked into the kink club I frequent, and rocked my typically un-rockable world. Causing me to break the one rule I have lived by since Daniel Alexander walked out of my life, never have sex with the same person twice. Ever. Warning!!!! Hers contains sexually explicit situations that may be uncomfortable for some. These include FF, FMF, and MFM interactions. Finding Willow: Where do you turn when all the bridges you have built in life have gone up in flames? When the ones you love don’t protect you from the monsters lurking in the dark? I never thought at twenty-eight-years-old I would have nothing to show for my life. A child given away for strangers to raise. A childhood ruined. A life full of dead ends, drug abuse, and one night stands. I'm at a crossroads, and I have a choice to make. I choose salvation. I choose life. I choose myself, for the first time ever. I will find her. I will find the life I was forced to give up. I just pray that he stays out of my way. I am Starburst Bloom and this is my story. Kink the Halls: Best selling author Dawn Robertson treats us to a short Christmas novella featuring your favorite characters from the Hers series. 'Tis the Season for an dysfunctional Christmas tale! Seven and Levi are celebrating their first holiday together. Star is pretending to be domesticated. And new love is blooming. Seriously, what more do you expect from the Seven James-Parker/Star Bloom crew? One thing is for sure, this is a Christmas no one will be forgetting anytime soon! This Girl Stripped: My innocence was shattered one steamy October night, when I sold my soul to the devil to pay for a week in a dirty motel room. Thinking I could rid myself of him, I fled the safety of the nomad lifestyle I had embraced my entire life for the security of a small upstate New York town, alongside my big sister Star. What I never anticipated was a green eyed stranger that would steal my heart and never look back. And a dark eyed man on a motorcycle, who would teach me how to trust again. Both of them completely shattering every wall I ever put up to keep men out of my vulnerable world. I am Paisley Bloom, and this is my devastating story. Seven's Diary: Once upon a time, I had a life before Levi. It's a time that is sometimes hard for me to remember. But with our lives on the brink of disaster caused only by my own actions, and solely my past... It is time for me to give the world a look at my deepest and sometimes darkest thoughts.

First Love


James Patterson - 2013
    Axi Moore is a "good girl": She studies hard, stays out of the spotlight, and doesn't tell anyone how all she really wants is to run away from it all. The only person she can tell is her best friend, Robinson--who she also happens to be madly in love with. When Axi spontaneously invites Robinson to come with her on an impulsive cross-country road trip, she breaks the rules for the first time in her life. But the adventure quickly turns from carefree to out of control after the teens find themselves on the run from the police. And when Robinson suddenly collapses, Axi has to face the truth that this trip might be his last.A remarkably moving tale very personal to James Patterson's own past, FIRST LOVE is testament to the power of first love--and how it can change the rest of your life.

Moments In Maplesville: A Perfect Holiday Fling & A Little Bit Naughty


Farrah Rochon - 2015
    When the residents of her small hometown aren’t pitying her because of her ex-husband’s very public departure, they’re attempting to hook her up with a man…any man. Fed up with being everyone’s favorite charity case, Callie considers closing her animal clinic and moving to the big city. But, before she goes, she decides to give herself a Christmas treat to remember: a romantic holiday fling. And who better to have a fling with than the gorgeous newcomer who is turning heads around Maplesville? When injured Navy pilot Stefan Sutherland reluctantly rescues a gutter cat for the sake of his five-year-old nephew, he never imagined it would lead to him discovering Maplesville’s most fascinating attraction…its smoking hot vet. Getting involved with a woman was the last thing Stefan anticipated when he agreed to care for his nephew during his Army nurse sister’s deployment, but if he’s going to spend the holidays in this sleepy Southern town, why not make the most of it with the perfect holiday fling. A LITTLE BIT NAUGHTY - Book Two (Originally published March 2013) Sometimes a girl can't help being a little bit naughty... Jada Dangerfield was living her fairy tale—married to her high school sweetheart and working in her dream job—until it all came crashing down. Struggling to make ends meet, the unemployed divorcée stumbles upon a decidedly naughty new income stream, selling erotic toys to the women of her small hometown. And when Jada gets the chance to host a "Naughty Nights" party at the home of her uptight life-long nemesis Mason Coleman, she realizes it’s the perfect way to get under the skin of the one person who has always made her feel as if she wasn’t good enough. Mason Coleman relishes his career as a high-powered tax attorney, but his most important job is keeping the promise he made to his father to watch out for his baby sister...even though she hasn't been a "baby" in thirty years. When he learns that his sister may be in trouble, Mason is forced to call on the one person he's never been able to abide, her brash and sexy friend, Jada Dangerfield. There's just one problem...how does he stop Jada from corrupting his sister with her kinky new business? When this unlikely pair is forced to work together, things get a little bit naughty.

Hard to Resist


Shanora Williams - 2012
    She planned a bright future with him, cherished four years with him, and couldn't have been any happier, but during graduation night, all of that changes.Natalie walks in on Bryson cheating on her. One month after catching him in the act, she finally decides to make an escape by leaving for Florida. She wants to start over, have fun, and be free while also finding a way to mend her broken heart but when she meets Nolan Young, her single-life escapade doesn't last for very long. She tries to stay clear of Nolan and his desires but it's impossible for her. Nolan will do everything that he can to have her as his own, but will Natalie accept Nolan along with the problems of his past? Will she let someone else into her heart that may be even worse than Bryson?For Natalie, Nolan will be something completely new to her. And for them both, their desires will be completely hard to resist.

Love Bats Last


Pamela Aares - 2013
    What he can't seem to run is his love life. He's closing in on the perfect vintage and the perfect game, but so far the perfect woman has eluded him.Veterinarian Jackie Brandon is eluding her aristocratic past and memories of a soccer star who jilted her just before their wedding. She devotes herself to a marine mammal rescue center on the northern California coast, where hundreds of seals and sea lions are washing up dead.A chance meeting in a midnight storm brings Alex and Jackie together to rescue a stranded whale. Watching her work, he realizes she's the passionate, courageous woman he thought he'd never find—he just has to overcome her deep distrust of jocks. Jackie’s passion and courage lead her to discover what's killing the sea mammals. The culprits want to silence her, and Alex is the only one standing in their way. What will he sacrifice to save the woman he loves?While each book in the Tavonesi Series, by award-winning author Pamela Aares can be read as a standalone, you may enjoy reading the entire series.Love Bats Last (Book 1)Thrown By Love (Book 2)Fielder's Choice (Book 3)Love On The Line (Book 4)