Pocketful of Sand


Michelle Leighton - 2015
    And I’m hope for her heartache.”—Cole Danzer.I don’t know what makes a great love story. Is it that instant attraction when boy meets girl? The passionate kisses and the fairy-tale ending? Or is it a lifetime of tragedy, paid in advance, for a few stolen moments of pure bliss? The pain and the suffering that, in the end, you can say are worth it for having found the missing piece of your soul? The answer is: I don’t know. I don’t know what makes a great love story. I only know what makes my love story. I only know that finding Cole when I did, when Emmy and I were running from a nightmare, was the only thing that saved me. That saved us. He was more broken than I was, but somehow we took each other’s shattered pieces and made a whole. If that is what makes a great love story, if that is what makes an epic romance, then mine…ours is the greatest of them all.**Contains material that some may find disturbing. Not intended for readers under the age of 18**

Drought


Pam Bachorz - 2011
    Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from the backbreaking work of gathering Water. Escape from living as if it is still 1812, the year they were all enslaved. When Ruby meets Ford—an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer—she longs to run away with him to the modern world where she could live a normal teenage life. Escape with Ford would be so simple. But if Ruby leaves, her community is condemned to certain death. She, alone, possesses the secret ingredient that makes the Water so special—her blood—and it’s the one thing that the Congregation cannot live without.Drought is the haunting story of one community’s thirst for life, and the dangerous struggle of the only girl who can grant it.

Rules of a Rebel and a Shy Girl


Jessica Sorensen - 2016
    The middle is a bit more complicated.The list of rules is supposed to protect mine and Beck’s friendship and stop us from accidentally kissing again. But most of all, it’s supposed to protect my heart from getting crushed and keep me from ending up broken like my mom.I’ve always been great at following rules. But the more time I spend with Beck, the more I can’t stop thinking about that kiss and how amazing his lips felt against mine. For the first time in my life, I wish I was a rule breaker. But I can never cross that line. Not with Beck. Not with anyone.Besides, if Beck knew the truth about my life, then the list wouldn’t have to exist because he wouldn't have kissed me to begin with.BeckIt started with the most amazing kiss ever and led to Willow handing me a list.That stupid list. When she gave it to me, I wanted to shred it to pieces, pull her against me, and kiss her until she realized a piece of paper wasn’t going to stop me. Willow’s been my best friend since forever and she should know by now that I’m not a follow-the-rules kind of guy.She may think that kiss was a mistake, but she’s wrong. Kisses like that can’t be a mistake. Willow and I belong together, have since the day I promised to always protect her from the bad stuff in her life. And somehow I’m going to prove it to her. Just like I’ll always protect her no matter what.A standalone contemporary romance.Suggested reading age 18+

Kian


Tijan - 2015
    Mysterious. Gorgeous. Loved by all the girls. Respected by all the guys. ...that was Kian Maston. As the heir to a billion dollar empire, his future was promising until the day he saved my life. Everything changed for both of us, and there was one more word that could be used to describe him—dangerous. The nation fell in love with him while falling in hate with me. He was sent to prison, and as far as they were concerned, it was my fault. I was forced to go into hiding until today. Kian's being released from prison, and he should go back to being the golden boy he always was supposed to be. I should remain in hiding, living my life as normal as could be. That's what we should do...

Another Man’s Child


Anne Bennett - 2015
    Celia elopes with Andy and they make their way by ship to England. While on board, Celia meets a demure young woman called Annabel who tells her in confidence that a friend of her father forced himself upon her and she has since fallen pregnant.Annabel plans to throw herself on her brother’s mercy and asks Celia if she will accompany her to Birmingham as her ladies maid. Without a job and with nothing to offer her, Andy encourages Celia to accept – he can find employment for himself and save for their future. But neither of them can foresee the events that will follow, and soon Celia will be forced to choose between the man she loves, and the love of a vulnerable child…

Beastly (The Ever After Collection)


Noelle Marie - 2016
    But without an enchantress or magic spell to break, what else is there? Just a damaged boy and a curious girl who doesn’t know how to leave well enough alone. This is the story of how they come together. Seventeen-year-old Emma Belrose didn’t know what to think of new boy, Heath Thompson, but what she did think wasn’t exactly flattering. He was rude, crass, and downright mean. Which was why it was so fantastically stupid that she couldn’t stop thinking about him. When stuck together to complete a months-long project for school, Emma finds herself slowly slipping past Heath’s emotional walls – more like steel barriers, really – and getting to know the boy beneath the prickly facade. Even as she begins to fall for him, however, a handful of looming obstacles continue to disrupt any bliss they may find. Not the least of these obstacles are Heath’s dark past and Gunther Kingston, the popular jock who is obsessed with Emma. With the odds seemingly stacked against them, can they reach out and grasp their happily ever after? Beastly is the first book of The Ever After Collection and is meant to be read as a stand-alone novel.

Diplomatic Recruit


S.E. Weir - 2021
    This series is part of a universe where cursing is not only accepted but encouraged to be as creative as possible. Some dragons of cursing in this series are small and some are full grown, but they all could pose a barrier to those who find cursing dragons to be offensive.The second group are the dragons of violence. The dragons of violence in this book are relatively young, but they grow as the series progresses. They make no apologies for staring you in the face while they kick the asses of those who find injustice acceptable.The last group are the dragons of abuse. The dragons of abuse in this book are mental and emotionally related, but they still exist to nibble at the unwary traveler’s defenses.If these dangerous dragons intimidate you, best you stay clear. There will always be dragons at the edge of the map.

Somebody to Love


Blair Babylon - 2015
     Meet Tryp, the rock star drummer for Killer Valentine, the hottest band on the planet. He's young, he's rich, and his whirlwind life of liquor, women, and screaming crowds is perfect, just as long as he never sobers up. Elfie Tilsi has been a pyrotechnics technician (don’t call her a “roadie.”) with the breaking-out rock band Killer Valentine for two years, ever since she ran away from home. The musicians of Killer Valentine are starting to crack from the unrelenting stress and limitless excess of touring. When the band manager tasks Elfie with babysitting Tryp, she tries being a little kind to him and quickly discovers that his problems are far deeper than the rock and roll lifestyle. Can the love of a rock drummer and the pyromaniac roadie survive?

Rejected and Forsaken (Forsaken #1)


Maggie Ireland - 2020
    Something broke inside of her when Kyle rejected their connection, but she puts her broken pieces back together to make someone stronger and tougher. Lily's pack may have turned against her, and her family may hate her, but she is finally learning that she deserves better. It's time they learn that too and she'll be the one to show them all. With help from Matt and Finn, the new student and teacher who fight to protect her, Lily will finally become the strong werewolf she was meant to be.(Only available on the Dreame app)

All I Have Left


Shey Stahl - 2014
    Her secrets go beyond the black eyes and the breaking heart. She’s dropped out of college, forced to quit her job and avoiding the questions her friends and family so desperately want answers to. And then her childhood crush shows up in town. Rugged, and not so innocent anymore, she’s reminded of that boy from her past and realizes he’s not the same. There’s a newfound darkness about him she can’t place. Grayson Gomez is hiding more than his unexpected return home. Trained to fight for his country, he has to battle harder to hide his despair when he finds the girl he left behind in the arms of another. With his world crashing around him, he’s holding on to a memory of the girl he used to know. As he questions what’s really going on with Evie’s boyfriend, Grayson makes a horrifying discovery. When her life is threatened, and his past catches up with him, Grayson will stop at nothing to protect her. Even if it means putting his own life on the line for her.

Broken Girl


Gretchen de la O - 2016
    I’m what you call society's dirty little secret. On the outside, I'm in control, the woman who makes her own rules and gives nothing away for free. Inside, I’m broken and numb. Torn and shattered by my past, my life is nothing more than the lost fragments of what's left of me.SHANE WEST represents everything that’s foreign to me. He’s brave, kind, funny, gorgeous and persistent. When fate brings us face to face, an undeniable attraction blazes between us. He becomes the constant I've never had and the only man I'll ever trust.There is nothing simple about falling in love when you're keeping a secret like mine.*Reader's discretion advised. Certain content might not be suitable for some readers.

Vice


Callie Hart - 2016
    Obey orders. Protect the guy standing next to you. Stay alive. Cade Preston left the military a long time ago, but he has never ceased to live by the laws of combat. As vice president of the Widow Makers Motorcycle club, he’s been loyal. He’s fought tooth and nail to stay alive. He’s shed blood to save the lives of those who matter to him. And now he’s gone and done something he swore he would never do. He’s fallen for the one girl he can’t have. Cortina Villalobos is an untouchable. The daughter of one of Ecuador’s most notorious cartel leaders, she is beyond Cade’s reach in every way. Fernando Villalobos is a murderer and a madman. He will kill anyone who dares look twice at his daughter, and yet Cade can’t walk away. Will he disobey orders? Will he abandon his club? And will taking on the House of Wolves cost him his life?Note: Vice is a standalone novel, with a complete beginning, middle and end. If you would like to read more about Cade Preston, you can find him featured in both the Blood & Roses series and the Dead Man’s Ink series. However, you do not need to read those books in order to enjoy this one.

Fearless Love


Kennedy Kelly - 2014
    She simply goes through the motions of caring for her 5-year-old sons and puts on a brave act for her close friends and family. When she hires a young man to remodel her home in hopes of helping her move on from memories of her husband, she is unprepared for who walks in. The sexy contractor, with his swagger, single dimple and caring ways, shows Audra that her heart needs a little work too.Brecken Michaels has closed himself off after a devastating loss. When a beautiful, new client turns his head and makes his heart skip a beat with her quirkiness, brilliant mind and loving ways, Brecken may have to re-evaluate the blueprints of his heart.Just as Audra and Brecken discover friendship and trust, a life-altering tragedy threatens the new foundation they are building. Will these two crumble under the pressure, or become FEARLESS and blend together to make one solid unit built on LOVE?

Keep Me Safe


Elaine Breson - 2013
    After a failed marriage that changed everything she knew to be true, she gets the courage to start over on her own. Sadie’s world quickly changes from her new normal when one night she gets pulled over by the most gorgeous police officer she’s ever met. Feeling optimistic about opening up again, she hopes that begins with Officer Stevens. He’s protective, sweet and seemingly trustworthy. She wonders if her past will ever allow her to get close to someone again. Her friends keep telling her how much she finally deserves to be happy. Will their chance meeting give her an opportunity to find out how fulfilling true love really should be? She wants to put her past to rest and move on, but will she finally allow herself to trust him when she feels like her life might be in danger?

Brutal: The Heartbreaking True Story of a Little Girl Stolen


Nabila Sharma - 2012
    I should have been able to trust him. But he made me do unspeakable things!It is a tale of innocence lost and a life shattered, but above all it is a tale of survival, of a young girl who found love and hope in the darkest of places.