Book picks similar to
Etching Our Way by Abigail Davies


second-chance
contemporary
angsty
doormat-heroine

Almost Wrong


Aubrey Parker - 2016
    I hated him at first sight, in my teens, when my mother met his worthless father. I hated when Bill moved in with us, dragging Hunter like bad baggage. I hated when Mom and Bill made it official, turning the delinquent a-hole in the next room into my brand-new stepbrother. I hated when I fell for Hunter, and Hunter fell for me. It killed me when he left us behind, shed like dead skin on his way to the top. And now that Hunter is a hotshot music producer on every magazine cover, I hate him even more. I hate his money. I hate his fancy toys. I hate that he thinks he owns me … or worse, that he OWES me. I hate that he’s back. That he’s soiled our ghetto with his pristine suit, his fancy black limousine. My heart hurts, I hate him so much. And it scares me that my heart might keep loving him in the end, beneath it all.

Rhythm & Blu


S.L. Jennings - 2018
    And I played it on repeat until life’s streetlights flickered on and stole him away. Riot Blu. Top 40 f*ckboi. Paparazzi player. Trashy reality TV trainwreck. But once upon a time, he was the boy next door. Once upon a time, he was every note in every song on every mixtape he had ever made for me.Now he’s back. A lot more arrogant. A little more tortured. And more gorgeous than any memory I held dear could do justice. I know no good can come from being anywhere near him. But Seattle is only so big, and if I’m going to get the exclusive of my career, I have to swallow my pride, take that dreaded walk down memory lane and agree to his terms. Move in with him. Immerse myself in his life—the life he left me to build. And try not to fall back in love with the man who ripped my world in two.

Ryker


Dawn Robertson - 2018
    But its the outlaw life we chose. It was a choice we all made, and I wouldn’t fuckin’ take it back. Not ever.Until she walked into my life and made me second guess everything, I have ever known. She is an angel, and I am tainted in darkness.She is pure perfection, and I am stained and bloodied.I want her, but I know I will never have her.I just hope that I can come to terms with the fact that she belongs to someone else, and there is nothing I can ever do about it.My name is Ryker, and this is my story.

Shackled


Arabella Abbing - 2016
    After weeks of toying with the idea, I finally worked up the nerve to drop out. Just in time to tell my mom for Christmas.But when I got home for winter break, my problems were temporarily forgotten when I realized there were two men living with my mom. Two men I knew far too well.My ex-best friend Jonathan and his father, who had apparently gotten engaged to my mom while I was away at school.Meaning the guy I swore I would never to speak to again was about to become my stepbrother.FML.JonathanI hadn't spoken to Fiona since I broke her heart, but not for lack of trying. She just refused to speak to me.So when her mom suggested that the two of us spend some time reconnecting at her cabin, I decided to take full advantage of the opportunity.Her mom convinced Fiona to come, but I wasn't stupid enough to think she was going to stay.Which is where the shackles come in handy.Because unless she can convince me to let her go, we're going to be bound together by twenty pounds of solid steel for the next three days.* Shackled is a standalone novel with a HEA.

Imperfect Bastard


Pamela Ann - 2016
     Falling in love with your brother's best friend can be catastrophic...so is unrequited love. Love was one hell of a mother*&c#!$. Not only was it addictive, but it was that kind of drug that could get you so high you floated out of your physical existence, and then it had the potential to drop you more swiftly than a lactose-intolerant monkey could shamelessly take a crap. It was so powerful, in fact, that it could drive any sane, lucid person to become thoughtless, mental to the point of destruction, consumed with taking desperate measures in order to win what they yearned for the most. But playing with fire could end up engulfing me inflames, burning every ounce of me until I was left in ashes, a speck of dirt that could be smeared and wiped away, left to be forgotten, unloved, alone. Drew Cavendish was every woman's bad boy fantasy. Not only was he cool and smart with a bevy of women lapping up everything he did; he also happened to be my brother's best friend and secretly the love of my life. After losing my virginity to him, I hadn't seen him since. Now I was moving to study at NYU and about to live with my brother ... in a condo where Drew lived, as well. At one point, he had meant the world to me, but circumstances had changed. Consequently, even though the palpable attraction was intoxicating, I knew better than to succumb to his easy charm. I would try to keep my composure and stay aloof. There was no need for panic. Yet my heart was a beat away from having a serious meltdown. I would survive this as I had all my life--by loving him from a quiet distance.

Stepbrother


Stacy McWilliams
    In short, he was an ass!The problem was that he was the hottest guy Bailey ever seen, and as much as she loathed everything about him, she couldn’t help but be attracted to him.When her mom asked her to go dress shopping, little did she know how much her life was going to change! Not only had her mom been dating Cooper’s father in secret, she was now engaged to him and the wedding date was set.As her new step-brother, Cooper was now completely out-of-bounds. But when does love ever follow the rules?Could they survive his father’s wrath or would love, hate and forbidden attraction destroy them both?

Reining Her In


Katie Ashley - 2019
    James was at our rehearsal dinner. That was shortly before he jilted me at the altar. To avoid the swarm of whispers and finger pointing every time I dared to show my face in public, I fled two hours south to Atlanta and never looked back. Over the last decade, I’d planned hundreds of scenarios about how our next meeting would go down. The expletives I’d hurl at him. Which knee I might use to annihilate his balls. Which dimpled cheek on his ridiculously handsome face I would send a stinging slap across. But being elbow deep in a cow’s ass was not one of them. Normally, I didn’t get up close and personal to a bovine’s rectum. At least not since veterinarian school. But desperate times found me back home to attend my grandfather’s funeral, who happened to be the town’s large animal vet. Those two facts had left me wading through manure in Roy Wallace’s pasture to care for a distressed heifer. While time and maturity seemed to have changed him from the boy I knew, I still wasn’t falling for his charm. Or his hard, chiseled body. Or ass you could eat dinner off of. No, I wasn’t going back down that street again. Unfortunately, Declan didn’t seem to get the message. Instead, he seemed as stubborn as he ever was and ready for a fight. It’ll be the fight of his life for me to let him back in my heart.

Have Mercy


N.E. Henderson - 2019
     It's hard to get over that kind of betrayal. It leaves a mark on the heart. A slow bleed that never goes away. She was my girl. We were supposed to be partners. She was going to be the mother of my children down the road. The only girl to warm my bed. She was my forever girl. Until she ran away. I thought she felt the same. But if she did she wouldn't have ditched me like I didn't matter. All the plans we made meant nothing to her. She disappeared without so much as a goodbye. Those cuts are the deepest. A gaping hole that can't be sealed. I could've stomached anything else—a meaningless one-night stand, drifting apart, vanishing love. But abandonment is a deadly strike that can't be forgotten. It sticks with you forever. Three months later she showed up, expecting me to welcome her back with open arms. Excuses, lies, not even her crying eyes could make me believe the manipulative bullshit coming out of her mouth. For months I felt like I was burning alive. She shattered my heart and stole my soul.  I moved on. Now, eighteen years later, a nightmare unfolds. Every detail makes my stomach churn. Lies come to the light. The truth is uncovered. And the people I thought I knew become strangers. The heartbreak I felt was only a scratch compared to the sliced open heart in my chest.  Winning her back seems like an impossible feat. She may never forgive me, because the thing about mercy—you have to give to receive. ***Have Mercy is a 107K word standalone, second chance love story.***

The Stepbrother Series: Linc & Raven


Danielle Jamie - 2015
    We all call him Forbidden because, like the fruit in The Garden of Eden, Linc, is gorgeous, tempting and completely untouchable. I've hated the arrogant jerk for as long as I can remember. But a week alone together followed by a drunken bet leads me onto a path that once taken there is no turning back. UNTOUCHABLE: I should hate her. Part of me does. But another part of me wants her more than I’ve wanted anyone--ever. Now she's back in town. Everything I feel...Anger. Lust. Desire...it's all coming to the surface at full force. I keep telling myself she’s untouchable. But that’s easier said than done when I have the devil on my shoulder telling me to forget about everything and everyone, and take what I want. I’m the sex God of San Francisco. I get who I want...whenever I want them. No matter the consequences. RAPTURE: Fate tore Linc and Raven apart, now in a surprising twist it’s bringing them back together—but the question is: Can they let go of the pain from the past giving them a fighting chance at finally having a future together? *This is the complete Linc & Raven trilogy book 3 Rapture is an UGLY CRY and deals with death and suicide which may be triggers for some*

Rock Stars Don't Like Big Knickers


Nikki Ashton - 2014
    While becoming housekeeper for the new owner of the ‘Big House’ in the Cheshire village where she lives, isn’t her dream job, it will do for now. However, there is one major problem with it. Her boss isn’t the woman who interviewed her, but Luke Mahoney, lead singer of the band Dirty Riches. The man who Martha lusted after years before, when they went to school together, and the man who is so hot that it petrifies her. Luke is arrogant and sexy and finds it highly amusing that his flirting embarrasses Martha, but at the same time he’s intrigued by her. She’s feisty, stubborn and gorgeous and Luke finds himself wanting to spend more and more time with her. So, despite a shaky start involving a naked Luke and a mortified Martha, they start to grow closer and their friendship starts to develop into something more. But then everything changes with the arrival of Luke’s gorgeous model girlfriend, Rachel. Luke’s sudden change in attitude towards Martha, hurts her and she realises that he’s just a typical egotistical, rock star and will never be anything more than her boss. Pretty soon though, with the help of his bandmates, Luke realises that Martha is the right woman for him and sets about repairing their relationship. But, with Luke keeping a huge secret and Rachel determined to hold onto him, will he ever manage to prove to Martha that he’s the right man for her. If he does, will he be able to keep the woman he actually loves or will Rachel get her way? Rock Stars Don’t Like Big Knickers, is full of humour, romance and secrets and will have you hooked with every turn of the page. Add in a strong, sexy woman, some hot band members and a Sex God of Rock and what more could you want to curl up on the sofa with – apart from your own Luke Mahoney. This book includes some mild sex scenes and moderately bad language.

In Your Arms


S.L. Sterling - 2019
    I didn't plan to take a trip down memory lane on the eve of our anniversary. But taking this trip down memory lane leaves me in tears, sharing a story of deceit, lies, ...and misunderstandings. The man I gave my heart to ten years ago is being ripped away. CarterWe lost each other over the past decade.That’s why I'd tried to push off this trip until after our anniversary. As usual, my career took precedence over what was important... US. Yet, the last thing I expect when the plane lands is a call saying that my wife thinks I’m having an affair. I almost lost her once and promised that would never happen again. Now I'm headed home to claim what's mine before someone else does.

Forsaking All Others


Janine Infante Bosco - 2021
    Power. Sin. It all comes with the gavel. Blurs the lines between church and state. But the Knightdale Charter of the Satan's Knights MC is my life.And I'd do anything for this club. Like letting the best woman I ever had slip through my fingertips. A sinfully beautiful spitfire, she's my better half in every way. My twin flame. My everything. My biggest regret. But there's no making things right between us. Because I'm the reason she's alone yet again. And if our past wasn't enough to put out the fire in her soul, my crimes certainly will be.

A Me and You Thing


Taylor Dean - 2018
    A match in every way, their happiness is evident to all who spend time with them. The arrival of twin baby girls completes their picture-perfect family.When Quinn has the opportunity to help others on a two-week volunteer trip, she reluctantly leaves her family, knowing a short break from the demands of motherhood will be good for her.She doesn’t expect the trip to change her life forever. But it does. It changes everything.Struggling from day to day, the young family moves forward, finding happiness . . . and love. But fate isn’t done mixing things up in their lives. When an unexpected event leaves them all reeling, the unspoken question rings loudly and can’t be ignored: “What happens now?”A Me and You Thing is a novel that explores the strength of enduring love and friendship.

Finding A Way


T.E. Black - 2015
    Recommended for ages 18 and up. I am finally free. This is my chance for a fresh start. My chance to live the way I want to. Boston is my destination. Just when I think things are going to get better from here, I meet him. Malcolm Davis. He is the image of masculinity, with rough edges I would love to soften. Although I wonder what it would be like to be with a man like him, I know it would never work. But, I do know two things, ever since I met him, I’m happy and he makes me feel safe. Both of those things lured me into taking a chance. I mean what’s life without taking any chances? It’s not much of a life without the risk of getting your heart broken. I imagine that for Malcolm Davis, falling in love with someone would be akin to a hurricane; anything that stands in the path of what he wants; gets demolished. Well, I guess my theory will be put to the test.

His Dirty Little Secret


Terri Anne Browning - 2017
    So, I kept quiet. Blinded by love and bound by my own desires, I allowed it all.I didn’t tell a single soul about my time with Sawyer, not my brother, not my closest friends.Not then, and especially not now.How can I? My best friend is his ex-wife.The past is the past.I’m over him.I refuse to still love him.He will never own me again.I repeat the lies over and over again to myself every single day.Only, deep down, no matter how hard I try to deny it, I’ve always been his.I want more between us than a dirty little secret.**Standalone***