Book picks similar to
Reprieve by A.E. Woodward
new-adult
standalone
stand-alone
arc
Lucky Penny
L.A. Cotton - 2015
He was my light in the dark, hope in despair. Our bond was one of survival, friendship... first love.But then we were ripped apart and Blake Weston became the memory I turned to when everything else in my life fell apart.Seven years later, a summer working at Camp Chance is supposed to be my fresh start. Beautiful scenery and the chance to better the lives of foster children - kids like me. But when my eyes land on him across the fire, time stands still and feelings come rushing back to the surface. I thought I'd moved on, tucked him away in my heart. One look into his soulful blue eyes and I know I'm wrong. Blake Weston can heal the broken parts of me. Restore my hope. Love me.It's our second chance. A sign we are supposed to be together.Isn't it?I was twelve when I survived the accident that killed my parents. Fourteen when I survived the devil. And sixteen, when I survived a heartbreak of the worst kind.But in my twenty-three years, Blake Weston might just be the first thing I won't survive.
The Truth About Mack
Jettie Woodruff - 2014
New name, new cover, same book.My name is McKenzie Perry. I’ve lived a life filled with secrets. Secrets that took me years to understand. Secrets that my bestie Gia and I kept from the world. Secrets that only I knew. I wasn’t afraid of the lies, the secrets, or the hidden skeletons. That’s not what frightened me. I was afraid that one day they would come out, somebody would find out the truth. If I am the only one that knew the secrets, the lies, then they were safe, right? How does a well-rounded, talented little girl create a false sense life? It took several years for me to understand the impact of lies. Lies I told, secrets I kept, and the lives they controlled. One of the things I know to be true is, I did the things I did for a reason, even if I didn’t know it at the time. They all had a reason.
Pulled
Amy Lichtenhan - 2011
In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side. Now, when their lives intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago. But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and do they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart? Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have.
Illusion
Ashley Beale - 2014
Now being a year later, and still dealing with the horrible tragedy, she makes a move to New York City for her job, hoping to finally start healing.The last thing Zoey ever expects to find is someone she can feel so comfortable and happy with. Everything about Harvey draws her attention, and she can finally feel herself heal. There are times things seem too perfect, but she tries not to question it much as she holds onto the passion she has for him.When everything unravels and Zoey is forced to face a truth she can't seem to grasp, she has to make a choice to finally move on, or stay lost in a world of illusion.Sometimes life is simple, sometimes love is unexpected. Sometimes we're exactly where we need to be, when we need to be there.Then sometimes everything we thought we knew is just an illusion.This [New Adult] Contemporary Romance novel contains mature themes, graphic sex and language, and is recommended for readers, 18+ in age. Please be advised, this story also deals with PTSD, depression, infertility, attempted suicide, and other very mature situations, and is not recommended for all readers.
Rock
Anyta Sunday - 2014
There’s Lila, too: The other woman, the one who stole the rock-solid foundation of his life. And then . . . There’s Jace. Lila’s son. Lila’s smug, regurgitated-fish-scale-blue eyed son. All Cooper wants is to have his family back the way it once was, but there’s something about this boy that promises things will never be the same again. Sedimentary. Resisting the realities of his new life, Cooper and Jace get off to a rocky start. But rocky start or not, after hundreds of shared memories together, they forge something new. A close . . . friendship. Because friendship is all they can have. Although it’s not like they are real brothers. Technically, they’re not even stepbrothers . . . Metamorphic. But how does that friendship evolve under the pressures of life? Under pressures of the heart?
Deep Blue Eternity
Natasha Boyd - 2015
And she’s escaped to the one place nobody will ever find her.But the isolated cottage isn’t empty. Her refuge is home to a troubled stranger, Tom, there for reasons of his own.In the intimacy of the abandoned cottage, and the remote wilderness of the island, the electrifying connection between them is impossible to ignore. Both running from their histories and shielding dark secrets, their pasts catch up with them and collide in an unimaginable way.Deep emotions and powerful chemistry face a painful battle with the tangle of lies, and scars of the past. When the truth emerges, hearts will be shattered.
Knot
M. Mabie - 2016
TWISTED DESIRE (available March 15, 2018) and TETHERED LOVE (available March 29, 2018).He knows everything.
She has all the damn answers.
I’ve always been a free spirit. It’s my nature.
I crave control, but with her it’s far more.
He’s a power hungry climber.
Her wealth could buy and sell me.
It’s too much pressure being the center of anyone’s focus.
She underestimates my desire for her, my need to please just her.
When he’s vulnerable, it’s hard to deny him.
Her crooked smile cripples me.
He hides his demons, but I’m no fool.
She thinks not committing to anyone makes her more honest. She’s wrong.
A man like him deserves someone who can offer that kind of love.
She promises nothing, yet I feel like a king when she says my name.
I never let anyone possess me like he did. Not before. Not after.
My greatest regret was compromising. I should have never held back.
Still, when we’re apart I’m not myself.
I miss the days when she was just down the hall.
He’s better off without me, and it hurts.
The ugly truth is I need her more than she needs me.
Our relationship was born out of lust and curiosity.
The lies we told ourselves killed it.
Together, we found Nirvana.
We learned it was all a mirage.
I ruined him.
I broke her heart.
I keep coming back.
I can’t let her go.
KNOT is a contemporary romance and a complete standalone. It is the first spin-off from the best-selling Wake Series. You do not need to read BAIT, SAIL, or ANCHOR to enjoy this book in its entirety, but if you love angst you'll enjoy them, too.
Getting Dirty
Mia Storm - 2015
He chose to believe she meant in college. They connect over Lord Byron’s Don Juan and, as their conversations become increasingly thicker with sexual innuendo, Caiden finds himself obsessing over a totally off-limits undergrad who’s bold, beautiful, brilliant, and one of the most passionate poets he’s ever met. But it turns out Blaire hasn't been totally honest. She's the seventeen-year-old valedictorian of her high school class, taking courses at Sierra State while awaiting her acceptance to Stanford. Will Caiden get too deeply into Blaire to back away before he finds out the truth? Or will their connection be enough to seduce him into risking his entire future on Jail Bait?"A thousand and one feels....Getting Dirty is a thrilling, tantalizing forbidden romance you do not want to miss! I not only devoured this book, it devoured me right back!"--Katy Evans, New York Times Bestselling author of REAL
Fall Back Skyward
Autumn Grey - 2016
I loved her. But they took me away from her and locked me up. For two years, all I could think about was her. She consumed me. Took up every room in my head and gave me something to focus on, knowing I would see her soon. Nine years ago, I watched her as she walked down the aisle and into the arms of a man who wasn't me. My brother. I left my home and never looked back. Now, I'm staring at seven letters, each envelope stamped with one word in bold, red ink: URGENT. I have no choice but to go back home. Seeing her will be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But in order to reconcile with my past, I have to face my present. Even if the thought of seeing her, knowing that she is out of my reach, kills me. I have no idea what awaits me, but I can only hope that the demons of my past will finally be buried and put to rest. **Due to possible triggering descriptions of self-harm, and some sexual situations this book is not recommended for anyone under the age of 17 years old**
Strangers
A.L. Parks - 2013
She succumbs to a dark existence where loneliness, sadness and nightmares dwell; until handsome, brooding Bryce Holden walks through the door of her favorite coffee shop, wearing the same cloak of despair and grief. Abby discovers in Bryce someone who understands love and loss, and soon their close friendship grows into a deep love. But ghosts make strange bedfellows, and Abby is forced to battle the tormenting images that continue to haunt her, and confront the ethereal presence of a beloved wife to protect her future with Bryce.
A Love So Tragic
Stevie J. Cole - 2016
We all make them. Sometimes we break them. But what happens when the promise you break haunts your dreams, when that moment of betrayal echoes within every last beat of your heart? Love. Love is passionate, painful, and all consuming in the most brutal yet beautiful way. How many people have you said 'I love you' to? Five, ten, maybe no one? I've said that word to two men, but only one where I felt it. Tragic. This word sums up my relationship with Nicolas: devastating, painful, depressing. A first love that should have lasted a lifetime, but I ruined with a stupid decision. Nicolas is my star crossed lover, and even though Shakespeare has taught me that stories such as ours always end in tragedy, I can't not love him, even if I'm married to someone else.
Dark Room
Heidi McLaughlin - 2016
. . break them and you're out. Rule #1 - No names It doesn't matter if you want to know, it's forbidden. Rule #2 - No exchanging numbers It doesn't matter if you want to call, it's forbidden. Rule #3 - Everything is to remain strictly anonymous. It doesn't matter if you want to tell, it's forbidden. The Dark Room is the only place you can live out your fantasies and no one will ever know it’s you. For Parker, what started out as a business transaction has turned into an addiction. For Mia, it's been a chance to discover who she truly is. What happens in the dark will have you begging for more . . .
Monster Stepbrother
Harlow Grace - 2015
When my father remarries it changes the course of my life and everything becomes . . . complicated.My new stepbrother is a monster who hates me. Unapologetic, controlling, and brazen, he's intent on making my life a living hell. Oliver King makes the rules. Whenever he wants. However he wants. Wherever he wants.My head screams this is wrong, but I can't resist giving in to forbidden desires.I want it as much as he does. I'm his possession, his ultimate pleasure, his dark obsession.My addiction to him grows to a dangerous level. I can't stop craving more from the man who has made me his and ruined me for anyone else. Can what starts out as lust and vengeance end as love? Can we take away one another's pain and ease one another's fears? Nobody said life or love was easy.My name is Maya Childs, and this is my story. *** Standalone ****** No Cliffhanger ****** HEA ***18+ A NOTE from the Author:This book is NOT for everyone and may have triggers that make some readers uncomfortable. Please be aware of that before you read this book! If you do decide to go ahead, please keep an open mind. Inside each of us lurks a monster. We all have demons we hide from the world. We all need that one special person to look beyond the surface of the mask we wear and deep into our souls. I hope you enjoy Oliver and Maya's story--that you will indeed peel back the layers and look beneath the surface.Dark erotic novel that contains sensitive subject matter that may make readers uncomfortable. Not appropriate for readers under 18. Contains explicit language and descriptions of sexual situations and violence.
Twisted
Amity Hope - 2012
For the past six years she’s constantly been on the move with her mom. When another disaster strikes, she finds herself back in her childhood hometown of Beaumont, living with her older sister for her senior year.A chance meeting reacquaints her with Ben McCaffey, a long-forgotten classmate from her past. After the death of his girlfriend, Ben has become a social outcast. He’s despised by some and feared by most. Determined to become Ben’s friend, Maya begins to break through his layers of emotional protection. It isn’t long before they realize that they both have secrets in their pasts. As the line between dealing with grief and struggling with a desire for revenge begins to fade, the secrets that draw them together may be what will ultimately tear them apart. Because the closer Maya gets to Ben, the more dangerous her situation becomes.
Royal
Winter Renshaw - 2016
He’s not even a prince - though you could say I loved him once upon a time.He was my older brother’s best friend.Growing up, he sat at our dinner table every Sunday, teased me mercilessly, and pretended I annoyed him.When I was old enough, he took me on my first date.Royal taught me how to drive. Escorted me to my junior prom. Gave me my first kiss…amongst other things. He was my first taste of toe-curling, all-consuming, can’t-sleep love.We had our whole lives ahead of us. There was never anyone else for me but him.And then he disappeared. No letter. No explanation. Not even a goodbye.My sisters and brother never forgave him, and my parents forbade me from speaking his name in our house ever again. For all intents and purposes, we were to pretend Royal Lockhart never existed.I’ve spent the last seven years trying in vain to forget my first love, but just when I think I’ve finally moved on, guess who’s back in town?