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Risk by Marissa Holan


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college
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Frozen Barriers


Sara Shirley - 2014
    Her high profile life was never her dream, it was her parents. Jeremy Page is a minor league hockey player who always imagined himself playing for the NHL.A chance encounter has them crossing paths after several years apart. Which way will his heart lead him? Will Emily embrace his charm?Just when things finally fall into place, an unexpected event occurs leaving Emily reevaluating everything in her life.Can Emily escape from under her parent's intrusive ways and take a chance on love? Will Jeremy be able to break down the barriers that have held her back for so long?Book 1 of the Barriers Series. This story does not have a cliffhanger. **Mature Subject matter. 18+ due to strong language and sexual situations**

Shredded


Tracy Wolff - 2014
     Twenty-one-year-old professional snowboarder Z Michaels is the bad boy of Park City, Utah. He’s always had his pick of any girl in town—and on the competition circuit. But underneath his cool exterior is a young man in turmoil, trying to take the edge off tragedy by overindulging in sex and shredding the slopes. In fact, Z’s reckless behavior is a thinly veiled attempt to blunt his emotional suffering with physical pain. Ophelia Richardson isn’t like any girl Z has ever met. Though she’s from New Orleans high society, she’s no Southern belle—and she’s not shy about being miserable in frozen, godforsaken Park City. But laying low is her only option after her ex, a rich boy who couldn’t take no for an answer, nearly killed her in a jealous rage. Following that terrifying encounter, the last thing Ophelia needs is a boyfriend—especially one as rich and arrogant as Z. But Ophelia soon discovers that he isn’t what he seems. If anything, Z may be even more damaged than she is. Tormented by their pasts and feeling alone in the world, Z and Ophelia find a connection unlike any they’ve ever known. But with Ophelia hiding the details of her life in Louisiana and Z’s death wish reaching terrifying new heights, their relationship seems to be going downhill before it even begins—unless they can find the strength in each other to trust, grow, and love again.

Beneath the Surface


M.A. Stacie - 2013
    Driven when it comes to work, focused when it comes to play. From his office to the chalk circle of the bare-knuckle boxing ring, his only thought is to win. That thirst heightens when Dale Porter enters his life. His brother’s assistant should be off limits, but her witty comments and sarcastic comebacks have him desperate to get her between the sheets.When Dale agrees to Kyran’s relationship stipulation of no labels she’s sucked into a whirlwind of lust, money, and underground boxing. Dale fights her growing affection, trying to hide it when the world around them spirals out of control. All too soon she realizes she can’t hide her true feelings any longer.Has Kyran finally met his match? Could playing to win mean playing for keeps?

A Toast to the Good Times


Steph Campbell - 2012
    When Landry’s present and near past collide, it only further complicates things.Landry thought he was leaving all of his problems behind when he left his family in New Jersey. But he comes home to find out that problems, like family, never go away. And sometimes facing the past with the help of someone who’s fearless about the future is the only way to move on.Cheers?

Unlikely Love


Riann C. Miller - 2015
    Desiring to break free of the bonds of neglect and heartache, she chose to take a chance on the unknown to pursue the life she had always imagined. Her goals were set, her dreams within her grasp, until an unexpected encounter altered her life forever.Every moment of Adam Lane’s life had been decided for him since the day he was born. Growing up wealthy was a privilege he enjoyed, but it came with a price. His future was mapped out for him: which college he would attend, who he would marry, and the inescapable eventuality of taking control of his father’s company.When an accidental collision brought Nikole and Adam together, both of their worlds were turned upside down. Their love might be compelling, but neither of them could have imagined the repercussions of their unlikely love.Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

You Before Me


Lindsay Paige - 2014
    He’s too good for her. She seduces him away from the gentleman he tries to be. He leads her to her own hopes and dreams.Ryan Kavanaugh isn’t the kind of girl guys bring home to their moms. She’ll have sex on the first date, she’ll drop the f-bomb without a second thought, and she’ll answer the door in jeans and a bra. Gabe O’Connor is exactly the kind of guy girls want. He’s a police officer and the classic good guy who takes his family’s opinions seriously and strives to be the best person he can be.Two people in two different places in their lives, both being pulled in directions they don’t want to go. Ryan and Gabe both struggle with what they desire in life and in each other as well as what their families expect of them.Sometimes, you have to think of yourself first.*This book is intended for mature audiences.*

Combust


Tessa Teevan - 2014
    She's grabbing the bull by its horns and riding as wild as she can.Fate must be smiling on her the night she meets Cohen Wellington, the cute boy-next-door and fellow music lover. Their connection is instant, and as the night progresses, she knows she's found The One. Only...it doesn't go exactly the way she had planned it. And even though she can't get him off her mind, some humiliations are just too much to overcome. She walks away, never planning to see him again. Three years and a whole lot of experience later, Andi and Cohen are suddenly drawn together again, and it doesn't take long before it's clear their connection is stronger than ever. Fate. Destiny. Kismet. Whatever you want to call it, these two fall hard and fall fast. Their love burns hot, but when their plans for the future seem to move in two different directions, will it be enough to sustain the flames, or will the fire consume them, their relationship combusting before their very eyes? Sometimes love comes quickly without question, without hesitation, and without fear. But this kind of love is once in a lifetime, and sometimes you just have to ask yourself, can it really last?*Although these are college aged characters, they are in the contemporary romance genre.

This Love


Samantha Victoria - 2015
    But soon, when a friendship begins to blossom between the two, Cheyenne realizes that Joss is more than the tattoos, illegal car racing, and string of one-night stands. The burn scars on his arm and shoulder prove that he's haunted by something from his past.As their friendship grows out of their control into something more, feelings force them to cross lines, threatening to turn their worlds upside down.He is everything she should stay away from, but she is everything he's been waiting for. This love is more than they ever bargained for.

Full Court Press


Ashley Rose - 2013
    They share a love for basketball, and he is tall, brooding and gorgeous. Soon, he is showing her new moves, both on and off the court, but he lets her know in no uncertain terms that he wants to keep it casual. However, soon their physical relationship heats up, they venture into the world of light domination, and a fragile trust grows between them. Beck has a dark secret that he's never shared with anyone, and when Carmondy takes matters into her own hands and discovers the truth, Beck feels betrayed. Can she convince someone who's never let anyone in that it's ok to ask for help? And when he realizes that he's pushed her out of his life completely, can this dominant bad boy learn that when you love someone, sometimes you have to submit?

If Only


A.J. Pine - 2014
    But now she’s off to spend her junior year in Aberdeen, Scotland, the perfect place to stop waiting for Mr. Right and just enjoy Mr. Right Now.Sexy, sweet (and possible player) Griffin may be her perfect, no-strings-attached match. He’s fun, gorgeous, and makes her laugh. So why can’t she stop thinking about Noah who, minutes after being trapped together outside the train’s loo, kisses Jordan like she’s never been kissed before? Never mind his impossible blue eyes, his weathered, annotated copy of The Great Gatsby (total English-major porn)…oh, and his girlfriend.Jordan knows everything this year has an expiration date. Aberdeen is supposed to be about fun rather than waiting for life to happen. But E. M. Forster, Shakespeare, and mistletoe on Valentine’s Day make her reconsider what love is and how far she’s willing to go for the right guy.

To Trust a Stranger


Karen Robards - 2000
    When his older brother vanished at the same time Sid Carlson's first wife disappeared, young Mac swore that someday he'd discover his brother's fate. After he became a cop, Mac's probe triggered a nasty frame-up that sent his career down in flames. Now a struggling private eye, Mac can't believe his luck when the second Mrs. Carlson, whose rags-to-riches marriage is headed for disaster, seeks his services to get the goods on her cheating husband. Mac's not about to reveal he's anything but a stranger to his quarry and miss this prime chance to pump Sid's neglected trophy wife, Julie, for inside information about her slimy spouse. With no one to trust but each other, and danger closing in on every side, the gorgeous ex-beauty queen and the sexy ex-cop are soon sharing much more than just information. Karen Robards has packed this story with adventure, intrigue, and steamy sensuality.

Absolution (Absolution #1)


Amanda Dick - 2013
    Four years ago, while driving girlfriend Ally and best friend Callum home from a concert, they were involved in a horrific car crash. Ally’s life would never be the same and, consumed by guilt, Jack ran. He’s been running ever since.Moving from town to town, job to job, he found himself doing things he never thought himself capable of. Living in the shadows, he’d rather spend the rest of his life alone than go home and face everyone he left behind. Until the night he receives a phone call that forces his hand. With a recent history he’s anxious to keep hidden and a desperate need to somehow make amends, his homecoming will be anything but easy. Does he even deserve a second chance?Absolution is the first in a series of stand-alone novels in the Absolution series by Amanda Dick. It is contemporary romance at its most confronting - raw, honest and compelling.

Drowning in Love


Beth Rinyu - 2013
    She had it all. Until the day her past, present and future were taken away, leaving her to face the world scared and alone. Trying to pick up the pieces of her broken life, while mourning the devastating loss of her fiancé she just goes through the motions as an empty shell.Enter Travis Montgomery, Olympic swimmer and totally gorgeous. He has several medals under his belt and just as many women. Mia is well aware of his womanizing reputation and refuses to be his next conquest, but finds herself coming alive again whenever she’s around him. They agree to be “just friends,” quickly finding that they are unable to fight the attraction between them. Mia’s life becomes complete once again with Travis in it; but nothing good lasts forever, at least not in Mia’s world. Torn apart by an ugly secret, Mia’s heart is broken once again. When the unthinkable happens and Travis needs Mia the most, she must reach deep inside to find forgiveness for the one man who will always hold the key to her shattered heart. But will doing so only break it further; this time beyond repair?

A Sense of Belonging


Laura Branchflower - 2017
    When her sister identifies him as Tony Prossi, a well-known Washington, D.C. attorney, Casey instantly wishes she was older. There is no way he is going to be interested in a college student. At least that's what she believes until their eyes meet. As a partner in a top D.C. law firm and son of a powerful U.S. senator, Tony Prossi understands the importance of image. There is certainly no place in his life for a woman as young as Casey Jansen, especially not when he's considering running for his father's Senate seat. But one night with the Georgetown University student ignites a hunger he can't seem to quench. And Tony will have to decide whether being with Casey is worth the risk to his reputation and family. Laura Branchflower is a compelling new voice in contemporary romance with believable characters dealing with real life struggles. A Sense of Belonging is a standalone novel but some of the characters also appear in When I Saw You, her debut novel.

This Love


Nazarea Andrews - 2013
    He wants an assistant and a distraction from the mess his life had become.They didn't know they needed each other.Avery Emili needs two grand. Two grand and a plane ticket--her sister is counting on her to get to Jamaica for her wedding. But the semester is over, and tutoring college freshman and high school students has dried up until the fall.Atticus Grimes needs help--the messy split with his wife left the twenty-eight year old professor scrambling to keep things together as the semester winds down. Now he's got a research grant he has to actually do research for and all he wants to do is drown himself in a tall bottle of bourbon.When Avery sees his ad for an assistant, all she's thinking is a summer job. But as they spend time together, in the office and out, both of them begin to realize something is there. Something that can't happen--he's a professor and she's a student. And both of them have histories, pasts that won’t let go. Can two broken people pulled apart by expectations find a way to be whole?