Book picks similar to
Illicit by Ava Harrison


teacher-student
dnf
romance
forbidden-love

Love Me in the Dark


Mia Asher - 2017
    He was the artist upstairs with the tantalizing smile and laughing eyes.He was the devil inviting me to sin, seducing me to dance in the bright moonlight.He was desire and need.When he touched me, my body sang. My soul came alive.But I belonged to another man, and he didn't want to let me go.

Distraction


A.E. Murphy - 2015
    Eloise Blackburn is a good student, struggling to get her life back on course after a year where she lost control of everything. Both are desperately trying to escape, he from small town life and she from an overbearing and controlling father. In each other they find a kindred spirit and form a bond that slowly blossoms into love. But in a world where everyone is quick to judge the outcome, yet never questions the journey, it doesn't matter that she's of age. It doesn't matter that they never intended for it to happen. All that matters is that they broke a taboo - a love between a teacher and a student twelve years his junior. Unable to walk away from each other, do they dare to risk it all? Forget labels. Forget rules. This is just a journey of two people who fall. Book #1 of 3 -- The Distraction Trilogy

Cheater


Rachel Van Dyken - 2017
    All it took was a single moment—say, a certain disastrous incident on the night before his wedding—and boom. Reputation destroyed forever and always. So now he owns it. He has a lady friend for every night of the week (except Sundays—God’s day and all), and his rules are simple: No commitments. No exceptions.But a certain smart-mouthed, strawberry blonde vixen is about to blow that all to hell.Avery Black has never forgiven Lucas for cheating on her sister. And suddenly being forced to work with him is pretty much a nightmare on steroids. Of course, it does afford her the opportunity to make his life as difficult as possible. But no good revenge scheme comes without payback. Because he didn’t become the Lucas Thorn without learning a few things about women.Now Avery’s lust for vengeance has turned into, well, lust. And if Lucas stops cheating, it’s definitely not because he’s falling in love…

Thicker Than Water


Dylan Allen - 2017
    Her book, Throw Away the Key has taken the country by storm. And now it’s being made into a movie. After years of chasing it, she can finally taste freedom. Reece Carras is one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. Handsome, rich and generous, he’s everything girls like her aren’t supposed to dream of. But dream she does. And in his strong arms she finds a freedom she never even knew existed. Falling in love was the easy part… Cruel twists of fate and torn loyalties will make staying together seem impossible. Sacrifices will have to be made. And they will learn that blood may be thicker than water, but nothing is more powerful than two hearts that beat for each other.

Play On


Samantha Young - 2017
    Nora O’Brien chased a dream from Indiana to Scotland, so sure it was the right thing to do. Three years later she was left in her adopted country with nothing to her name but guilt and regret.Until Aidan Lennox entered her life.Older, worldlier, a music producer and composer, the sexy Scot should never have made sense for Nora. But somehow in each other they found the light they were looking for, the laughter and the passion—the strength to play on despite their past losses.But when life dealt Aidan another unlucky hand, instead of reaching for her he disappeared. The agonizing loss of him inspired something within Nora. It fired her spirit— the anger and hurt pushing her forward to take control and reach for her dreams.Finally pursuing a career on stage while she put herself through college, everything is how Nora wants it. She’s avoiding heartbreak and concentrating on her goals.Sounds easy but it’s not. Because Aidan is back. And for some reason he hates Nora.He’s determined to be at war with her.And she has absolutely no idea why.

Forbidden Attraction


S.R. Watson - 2014
    She has her best friend and her boyfriend of five years by her side. As the countdown to graduation begins, her world comes crashing down when her boyfriend confesses that he has cheated on her. Her past has shown that love is volatile, but she had hoped that this time would be different. Siobhan becomes a cynic - doubting the existence of love. She vows to never give her heart to another.In walks Professor Michaels. He is a sexy billionaire playboy who limits his encounters to one night, maybe two. His jaded past and multitude of secrets shapes his aversion to love and relationships. He makes no promises of forever. Offers no apologies for his preference for variety. When he first meets Siobhan, the attraction is mutually instantaneous. He knows she is supposed to be off limits, but he has never denied himself of something he wanted. Siobhan and Professor Michaels share the same sardonic outlook on love. What happens when these two paths cross? If they give into this forbidden attraction, can they both come out on the other side unscathed?

Empire of Desire


Rina Kent - 2021
    It just happened.Nathaniel Weaver is the most attractive man I’ve ever seen with enough charisma to blind the sun.He’s bigger than the world, owns half of it and conquered the other half.He was forbidden. Wrong.So I totally got over him. Or so I told myself.Until we’re forced to get married.Now I’m trapped.But maybe he’s trapped too.Because we’re both reaching for that forbidden fruit dangling between us.Empire of Desire is a complete STANDALONE. No book should be read prior to this.Note: This is NOT a dark romance.

Bend


Kivrin Wilson - 2016
    My boyfriend’s best friend. He was never supposed to be anything more—until he was. When my college boyfriend betrayed me and left, breaking my heart, Jay picked a side. He chose me. He stayed, and for the past six years, he’s been my rock, my anchor, my compass…Now we’ve grown up, finished school, and have careers. Me as a nurse practitioner; Jay as a doctor. He’s been everything I needed, but now I want more. I can’t stop thinking about him, and I’m done hiding it.   It’s time to find out if he wants me, too. 
JAY

A friend. Not a lover. That’s who Mia Waters is to me. I’ve tried damn hard to make sure our relationship stays that way. I’m the shoulder she leans on, the last one to talk to her before she goes to sleep at night… And after six years, she means more to me than my own family.The moment I met her, I wanted her. But she belonged to someone else, so I pushed the need down. I didn’t take what I wanted. I’m not that guy. Her happiness meant more.  Until now. Until she asks me a question that shatters our unspoken boundaries. Have you ever thought about having sex with me? Six years of keeping her at arm’s length, and I can feel myself starting to give in and lose control with her.I can’t let it happen. There are reasons I didn’t get close. She hasn’t let go of her ex-boyfriend, not really. And she has no idea about the lies I’ve told her.What if she finds out about me? What if she finds out who I really am?And what will she do when I leave?

Color Me Pretty


B. Celeste - 2020
    He offered me shoes to dance on, a shoulder to absorb my tears, and the harsh reality of where my life was leading when I was at my lowest point. And when the future my parents planned derailed after a statewide scandal, I had no choice but to fantasize about one for myself that didn't involve them. But Theo? He was always in it. My father's best friend. The man who would undoubtedly end me if I didn't end him first.

Complicate Me


M. Robinson - 2015
    That one moment where you could have chosen a path that would lead you down a certain road. A different life. It was easier to pretend that we were still best friends, and that she was my girl and I was her boy. Pretending was better than knowing the truth...I. Ruined. Us.I had her. I lost her. I love her.All I did was complicate us.STANDALONE series. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Strong language and sexual content, not intended for readers under 18.

Nocturne


Andrea Randall - 2013
    Brilliant, eclectic and passionate, she lives music, but struggles with her plans for the future.Gregory Fitzgerald is one of the most renowned cellists of his generation. A member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and professor at the Conservatory, he is laser focused on his career to the exclusion of friends, family and especially romance.When Gregory and Savannah’s paths cross in the classroom, it threatens to challenge more than their wildly differing beliefs on music. Friendships, ethics, and careers are put on the line as Gregory and Savannah play a symphony of passion and heartbreak. In the final movement, Gregory and Savannah are handed their greatest challenge, as the loss of absolutely everything they’ve held as truths hangs in the balance.

The Love Interest


Kayley Loring - 2021
    I’ve wanted to continue our conversation from the night we met, but there are so many things I can’t say or do, now that I’m your professor.As an anonymous letter writer, I can give you some idea of what I have planned for us, once the year is over. As an author, I can share my work in progress with you. Not for you to critique but to show you how much you mean to me.When you’re done reading this page, destroy it—and then write me back. Don’t sign the letter. Don’t put a return address on the envelope. Mail it from a random mailbox. Yours in problem solving,MeP.S. I still think you’re wasting your talent on that historical romance novel.P.P.S. I really wanted to push you up against the door and kiss your beautiful, angry face. I will. One day.***Dear Emmett,Your handwriting is almost as terrible as your mood swings, and it would have been my instinct to destroy that letter even if you hadn’t ordered me to.If you show me your work in progress, I will critique it.I am currently still too infuriated to write about all the other feelings I have for you.Expect another letter soon.Your problem and your solution,MeP.S. I still think an overpaid, overrated, overly handsome bestselling author of thrillers has no business teaching creative writing at a prestigious New York university.P.P.S. To my great horror, I really wanted you to push me up against that door and kiss my angry face too. I understand now that your appalling way of treating me in class has been overcompensation, but I don’t forgive you for it. I’ll kiss you again anyway. One day.

Beautifully Broken


Laura Lee - 2016
    Everything about the man screamed confidence. Sensuality. Intelligence. Worldliness. But it was how he saved me that ruined me most.Through him, I learned to end my path of self-destruction. I no longer needed to numb the pain with mindless one-night-stands and drunken blackouts. He made me feel worthy. Treasured. Optimistic about my future.Here I stand four years later, in a coffee shop a world away, still broken…but beautifully so. My scars no longer hold me back. Instead, they give me strength and enrich my appreciation for the good things in life. I have hopes and dreams…faith that anything is possible. I am no longer the lost little girl fighting for survival. I have direction. I have courage. I am not without possibility.I’ll always have Gavin to thank for that—Mr. Cooper, I remind myself. That’s who he is to me now: just a former teacher. I know what you’re thinking, but don’t worry. I was eighteen when we first met. Legally, we did nothing wrong. Morally? Well, I guess that depends on how flexible your morals are.My name is Kat and this is my story.

Allure


Lacey Weatherford - 2014
    There’s only one problem—she’s pretty sure he doesn’t even know she exists. A friend of her older brother, Six is five years older than her. Plus, there’s the pesky fact that he’s had a steady girlfriend for months. Still, even though she knows there’s no chance for her, she can’t seem to let the fantasy go.Six Jagger has had a thing for Brooklyn Hall since the first time he laid eyes on her a year ago. However, after finding out she's his friend's younger half-sister, not to mention the daughter of the high-rolling mayor, he wiped her off his list of possibilities. That should’ve been the end of it, but for some reason, he can’t stop watching and admiring her from afar. Happy that he’s successfully maintained his distance, all that changes on the night Brooklyn walks into Inked Edges, asking him for a tattoo. After that, all his carefully constructed barriers come tumbling down, taking them on an explosive ride of lust, passion, and desire.All’s well that ends well, right? Too bad that wasn’t the end, but merely the beginning…

Playing for Keeps


Kendall Ryan - 2019
    Elise Parrish, my teammate's incredibly sweet and gorgeous younger sister, should have been off-limits, but my hockey stick didn't get the memo. After our team won the championship, our flirting turned physical, and I took her to bed. Then shame sent her running the next morning from our catastrophic mistake. She thinks I don't remember that night - but every detail is burned into my brain so deeply, I'll never forget. The feel of her in my arms, the soft whimpers of pleasure I coaxed from her perfect lips....And now I've spent three months trying to get her out of my head, but I'm starting to understand she's the only girl I'll ever want. I have one shot to show her I can be exactly what she needs, but Elise won't be easily convinced. That's okay, because I'm good under pressure, and this time, I'm playing for keeps.Get ready to meet your new favorite hot jocks in an all new stand-alone novel. If you like sexy, confident men who know how to handle a stick (on and off the ice), and smart women who are strong enough to keep all those big egos in check, this series of athlete romances is perfect for you!