Book picks similar to
Redemption by Amy Brent


contemporary
romance
dnf
stay-away

Six Years


Stephanie Witter - 2015
    She’d always had a crush on him. He'd only ever seen her like a little sister. And now...he’s back.BrooklynI thought that he was a part of a distant past. I thought I didn’t feel anything for him now, but I was not so sure anymore. Having him back in my life, for however long it was, was making me see things differently. So many things had changed in the last six years and somehow I’d lost myself and forgotten all about my dreams. My home life was still a mess, my personal life was nothing to boast about and when I see how successful he is, how everything he’d always wanted came true, I couldn't help but feel lacking in a lot of ways. But he’s back and he needed me. I knew I was the only one who understood that part of his life, the only one he’s willing to share it with. My heart is still beating too hard and too fast for him and this time around, I was as much an adult as he was. Having a six year age gap didn't mean shit.NolanBeing back in Riverdale was harder than I thought. I’d turned my back on that life, but there had always been that one girl in my head. Little B. Now she’s nothing like the twelve year old girl I’d last seen. She’s a young woman, gorgeous and sexy. I couldn't stay away. There’s something drawing me to her and it goes beyond my need to reconnect with her, to have her back in my life and fill the hollow part of my chest. But I couldn't forget the little girl she had been; I shouldn’t forget the little girl she used to be.Growing up with a junkie mother and nobody else, my neighbor, Brooklyn, had been my only happy place. I had taken care of her, and when I had left, I had to leave behind a huge part of me. I couldn't do it again. I needed her. Once again, she’s the only person I want in my life, but I wasn’t sure if it was for all the right reasons. Were there too many obstacles in the way?Contemporary Romance standalone novel for readers over 18.

When You Loved Me


Terra Lorin - 2013
    The experience, thrills, and heartbreaking moments of the story will be totally ruined for you, if you do. Just a warning ; )'Unconditional Love' is a very rare thing, but the few who live it, know what 'true love' is.Songwriter Brooke Davenport's fiancé has left her for another woman. She's devastated, but this is not the first time a man she's loved has broken her heart.Tristan Jameson, her brother's best friend, crushed her dreams on the seventeenth summer of her life when he disappeared without so much as a phone call or note to her, or her brother. What could've happened that he left in such haste especially after finally winning him over to confess his love for her?Now he's back in town and Brooke wants an explanation. Will she be able to forgive him? After having been jilted twice by the two men she trusted her heart to, will she ever give her trust and love to a man ever again—much less to one who hurt her once before?As Brooke and Tristan record her duet song together, memories flood her mind and sensual desires surge through her body for the man who she had a crush on since he was a boy—her first love—the one no girl ever forgets.Get ready for a roller coaster ride with curve balls and twists and turns as mystery and suspense come into play in this endearing story of true love and romance. No cliffhanger; HEA ending! =)Word count: Approx. 73,700

Hickey


Cora Brent - 2017
    Especially if you hate his guts. Yet I can't seem to help myself.Here's the story: A long time ago, in a small town I’ve tried to forget… I married the charismatic all-American king of high school. He was sexy and charming.I was shy and infatuated. We were both eighteen. Of course we did not live happily ever after. We did the opposite.You thought that was the end? So did I.Seven years later and without warning, Branson Hickey is back in my life. Many things have changed and a few things haven’t. I still want him. I still can’t stand him. I still think about him all the time, even after everything we did to each other. I’ve long wondered if I’d ever fall in love again. Now I wonder if I ever really stopped loving him.**HICKEY is a stand alone second chance romance by NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Cora Brent.**

With Every Breath


Niecey Roy - 2015
    She has her dream job, her freedom, and miles separating her from a past she needed to outrun. Only one thing could make her return to River Bend, and that’s her best friend on the verge of a breakdown. From the moment Cole Brooks realized he married the wrong woman, he’d done his best to not let fantasies of the one who got away haunt him. Now that his marriage is over, and Jaden’s back in town, is the universe giving him a second chance?Jaden isn’t about to let her guard down around the man who broke her heart, but Cole won’t give up until she admits how perfect they would be together.

Hold on to Hope


A.L. Jackson - 2019
    Jackson . . . Evan Bryant wasn't your typical hero.But he was mine.Broken by the worlds' standards, he was still the strongest boy I would ever know.My best friend. The boy I'd given everything to. My heart, my body, and the promise of forever.The day I'd needed him most, he walked away.He left me shattered and questioning the love I'd thought we'd shared.Three years later, I wasn't prepared for him to return to Gingham Lakes.It wouldn't have mattered if he wasn't the most beautiful man I'd ever seen.My fingers still would have ached to caress his skin.My body still would have begged to get lost in his touch.And my heart . . . it would have always sung his name.But time changes things. With it, secrets that could ruin everything.Can we find a way to love again, or have the fears of our past stolen the hope of our forever . . .

Lovesick


T.L. Smith - 2017
    Broken is what he was. Broken is what I will always be.To his eyes, that held so much despair, I couldn’t look for long. To his fist, that clenched so tightly, like he was locking away the sorrow. To his lips, that never uttered a word, from the years of heartbreak. And despite it all, I couldn’t stay away from him. It was like he was drowning in an ocean, and I wanted to grab his face, and whisper to his lips, “Don’t forget to breathe.”This was how I fell for a man. A man who was so lovesick, I was afraid he would drown me in that same ocean he was lost in.***Standalone***

Room Service


Summer Cooper - 2018
    Not when you’re the servant’s daughter. Not when you’re in love with the master’s son. And not when he seems to hate you! Now a successful pastry chef at a five-star hotel, I’m all grown up and finally happy. I’m over the cold, cruel Trent Thompson. Now he’s back to take care of his father’s hotel and all I want to do is avoid him. But he’s hotter than ever and determined to make me service him right... Author's Note: This book is a full length standalone with an HEA. Story contains mature language and themes, intended for adults only.

Forward


J. Saman - 2016
    But when I woke up to find Levi gone without a trace, he broke that promise. Lara Gould finally has everything going for her. Amazing job, great apartment and a boyfriend who loves her. That is, until one night when her past and present collide. The man she thought she’d love forever vanished without a trace seven years ago, breaking her heart. Suddenly Levi has returned and is making some big waves in Lara’s life. But can she trust him? Why did he leave all those years ago?Her new boyfriend Tom, is perfect. Smart, sexy and adoring with a British accent Lara can’t help but love. When Tom asks her for a future in another country, Lara finds she has a big decision to make. Who does she move forward with? The man of her past or the man of her present.Warning: Strong language and moderate sexual content

Second Chance Summer


Poppy St. James - 2021
    It’s one of the reasons why she ran out on her own wedding instead of settling for anything less than she deserved. Now instead of the cross-country road trip she had planned, she’s stranded in a small town with a rough and hardened hunk of a man who’s got secrets of his own. Luke Wilder doesn’t have time for the sassy brunette who he’s sure won’t stick around anyways. He’s had his heart broken before and there’s no use getting bent out of shape over someone who’s just going to move on. But this newcomer isn’t at all like he assumed and their chemistry? Well, explosive is too tame a word. Will Luke open up and risk heartbreak again? And can Charlotte put her past behind her and trust in love again? Come find out in this all new sweet and sizzling small-town romance from Poppy St. James!

Say You'll Be Mine


Maria Luis - 2017
    Twelve years, three cities, and too many pairs of stilettos later, Shaelyn Lawrence is back in the one place she vowed never to return: New Orleans.Thankfully, her hometown stint is temporary. Better yet, she has a plan guaranteed to get her out ASAP: Return her aging-but-still-crazy grandmother back to health;Help her cousin with her boutique;Evade Brady Taylor, her high school sweetheart, a.k.a the reason she fled Louisiana in the first place.Brady isn't even a footnote... until one unexpected run-in with him changes everything. She shouldn't be tempted by his drawl, she shouldn't be tempted by the promise of his kiss, she shouldn't want him.But she does.Oh, boy, this was so not the plan.----------Twelve years, one city, and too many issued traffic tickets later, Homicide Detective Brady Taylor is all geared up for being promoted to sergeant within the New Orleans Police Department. Or, he would be — if he wasn't sitting in third place.Thankfully, he's cut out every possible distraction:Hanging out with his buddies;Women;And, God help him, football.His life should be distraction-free... but then Shaelyn Lawrence waltzes back into it, with her sexy red lips, curvy body, and her f***-me heels. Brady should run in the opposite direction. He definitely shouldn't spend time pursuing her, kissing her, or landing her in his bed.But he does.Shaelyn may have left once, but Brady is determined to prove that Shaelyn belongs in New Orleans. She belongs with him. For fans of Jill Shalvis and Lauren Layne, Maria Luis’ new sexy contemporary romance will leave you laughing and desperate for more! SAY YOU'LL BE MINE is the first full-length novel in the NOLA Heart series, but can be read as a standalone.

Resentment


Nicole London - 2015
    (Yes, I’m well aware that’s not the actual definition, but it might as well be . . .) It’s been ten years since we've seen each other and the feelings are still as strong. I’m not going to bore you with all the details of how our love was once intoxicating, consuming, and perfect. Because it was . . . until it wasn't. I've been fine without him. I haven’t missed his cruelty, his coldness and his spite. And after the ugliest breakup in the history of breakups, I forced myself to move on. Year by year, the feelings I had for him slowly drifted away, but one encounter with him recently changed everything. One encounter made me realize how the heart doesn't forget shit, and how my mind is going to have to work overtime to make sure I never forget my definition of resentment.

Beautiful Storm


Megan Isaacs - 2015
    Interviewing the notorious owner of ‘Ignition’ should have been simple. When asked to go home with him, I should’ve said ‘no.’ But Noah Hamilton’s tattooed, hard body and rugged features were impossible to resist. I wanted him to touch me. And I longed to be loved again. I craved the escape and was desperate to know him. Much like his lifestyle, our heated affair took off at warp speed, proving to be stronger than either of us anticipated. Trapped between my past and future, there was only one decision to make. So I ran… She was my downfall. From the moment Lizzie Ryder stepped into my shop, I wanted her. Had to have her. A reserved journalist with a body of sin and mesmerising eyes was all it took for me to fall. Hard. The night she let me touch her, taste her, I knew I was done for. I never deserved her, but needed to make her mine. She found the heart I never knew I had, brought it to life, and then crushed it to dust. And just like her storm-filled eyes, I drowned in the flood of her desertion. Reaching my breaking point, I struggled to forget the only woman I ever foolishly fell for and dove headfirst into my dark past, barely surviving her. And now she’s back. What happens when our weaknesses become our strengths? Do we reveal and fight…or keep our secrets and run? And can we withstand the devastation left after the Beautiful Storm?Due to sexual content, possible triggers, and excessive bad language reader discretion is advised. 18+

Best Laid Plans


L.K. Farlow - 2018
    In a big way. Too bad that the next morning he had no memory of our night together, leaving me heartbroken, and as I later discovered...pregnant.For the last four years, I've been rocking the single mom thing, making sure my daughter comes first. In fact, everything is going fine--until Alden storms back into my life, as my new boss.His reappearance wasn't something I planned for. Add my nosy, meddlesome three-year-old and an overprotective brother, and I'm obviously in way over my head.My only hope now is that I can sway Alden to see things my way...but you know what they say about the best laid plans...

Never Again


C.G. Blaine - 2020
    Now he’s everywhere, determined to win her back. The more he reminds her of everything they once shared, the more she needs to hold on to the reason it all fell apart. Because Hudson St. James is a liar, and if she lets him, he’ll destroy her all over again.Hudson screwed up when he let Emilia walk out of his life without fighting for her, and he refuses to make the same mistake again. He never lied. Never betrayed her. But since he can’t prove it, he’ll have to find another way to rebuild what they lost—even though he has no idea what really ruined them in the first place.

Bound


Stephie Walls - 2014
    I may be flawed; we all are.But I'm smart, driven, and ready to take on the world. No one needs to know the rest.I wasn't counting on him, couldn't imagine someone like him coming into my life.The blue eyes, the chiseled body, the man I can't resist.Truthfully, I have no plans of ever resisting him. He has the carefree, playboy life he wants, The one he created and refuses to give up.But he didn't count on me waltzing in and changing everything.Gray can't deny his passion for me—all parts of me, Even the truth I try to bury—the flaws he knows I'm hiding.And trust me, he's imperfect too.But sometimes, we need more than love—more than we can give.