Book picks similar to
Ruin by C.J. Scott


romance
netgalley
contemporary
contemporary-romance

Very Wicked Beginnings


Ilsa Madden-Mills - 2014
    Meet Cuba Hudson, the heartbreaker of Briarwood Academy:I'm the tattooed bad boy girls think they can change.I have it all: a football career, a stellar GPA, and a family that owns half of Dallas, Texas. Everyone wants to be me, but all I want is to forget...Then she shows up.Dovey Beckham arrives at Briarwood Academy and looks right through me, unconcerned that I rule the school. I wasn't part of her precious plan, and it drove me insane...so I made it my mission to claim her, to put her notch on my bedpost.She would be mine and her heart would be broken.I didn't plan on falling for her, and I sure as hell didn't plan on losing her...Welcome to Briarwood Academy...where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Wicked Beginnings.

Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always


Jessica Sorensen - 2013
    . .Lila Summers just wants to know one thing for certain: that Ethan Gregory will be with her always. Once her friend, he's become so much more, melting the pain of her past away with each kiss. Now Lila is on a road trip with Ethan, in the wilderness under the stars, and she can't imagine her life without him. But when she talks about the future, something in Ethan changes . . .Ethan has no doubts about his feelings for Lila. His life with her gets better every day-and that's the scary part. How can he walk into a future where he has everything to lose? With Lila, his whole heart is on the line for the very first time. But if Ethan can't give her the promise she needs, his greatest fear might come true: he'll lose Lila for good.(30,000 words)

The Fighter's Block


Hadley Quinn - 2012
    For ages 18+)The entire fourth floor of Donovan Kemp's apartment complex houses only MMA fighters, dubbing it "The Fighter's Block." Growing up in an abusive home put Van on the fast track to nowhere, but a caring fight club owner took him under his wing as a teen and shaped him into a fighter with integrity. Now in his mid-twenties, his life changes dramatically when he steps in to help a beautiful girl in a scary situation with her boyfriend. Surprising to Van, she ends up going home with him. He's now on the fast track to something else: falling in love. He feels that Danielle is the type of girl men only dream about, but the two quickly fall hard for each other in equal measure.When the ex boyfriend proves to be nothing but trouble, Van has a tough time deciding between protecting Dani with legal measures or just bashing the guy's face in himself. The harassment escalates, eventually pulling Dani and Van apart, and Van finds himself feeling desperate enough to do something drastic.If being thrown in jail isn't bad enough for Van, an undercover investigator seems to be getting a little too close to Dani, the fight club he grew up in could be turned upside down with scandal, and the friends that he trusts with his life might not be who they say they are.So much for finally discovering the little morsel of happiness he'd been deprived of his entire life...

Unfiltered & Unlawful


Payge Galvin - 2014
    But why should Sugar give in to the Harley-riding tattoo artist when his longest relationships haven't lasted more than a weekend? Sugar's life takes a turn for the dangerous when someone comes looking for the people connected to the Cave shooting and the cash they split. To protect herself and those she cares about, Sugar has to get out of town–and fast. When Adam insists on coming with her, Sugar finds herself holed up in a tiny house with a hot man, a stash of cash, and a lot of secrets. Can Sugar protect both her life and her heart when temptation is so close? Or is the past she's fled going to catch up with her?"A full-throttle read that's dangerously sexy and exciting. I can't wait to see what happens next!" —Jeaniene Frost, NYT bestselling author of the Night Huntress series"A fun, rollicking start to an exciting new series concept. . . .And the hero, oh the hero, steals the show here. Adam is hot, hot, hot and readers will want him as badly as Sasha does." —RT Magazine

A Perfect Mess


Zoe Dawson - 2012
    He was always the unpredictable one, the one who would be brash enough to make it big self-publishing horror novels on the internet. He promised never to tell, but everyone knows you can never trust an Outlaw.Then a year later, in the middle of the night, she receives a phone call at Tulane. Her aunt, who took her in after her mother’s death, is in a coma under suspicious circumstances. Now she has to face that one person who knows all about what she did that summer—sexy Booker. Returning to Hope Parish to be with her aunt, stirs up all those ugly memories. When Aubree starts getting threats, she can’t help but wonder if what she did last summer was tied to her aunt’s “accident.” Afraid, she turns to the only person who knows the truth and Booker doesn’t hesitate to offer his broad shoulder for her to lean on. But Booker has a secret of his own that could crush their fledgling relationship.As the hot, sultry summer days move on, she finds that even a perfectly smart girl can lose her heart to a perfectly bad boy. What is she going to do when someone starts asking questions Aubree doesn’t want to answer? She’s knee deep into a terribly dangerous, wholly life changing, who-can-she-really-depend-on perfect mess.A Perfect Series: Three perfect girls, three perfect secrets, one unholy trinityA Perfect Mess, Book #1 – the girl most likely to succeed, an unpredictable Outlaw, and a dangerous secret that could be the death of her.A Perfect Mistake, Book #2 – A preacher’s daughter, a reckless Outlaw, and a secret that will change her life forever.A Perfect Dilemma, Book #3 – The town’s poor little rich girl, a sweet-talking Outlaw, and a secret that will ruin all that she holds dear

Make it Last


Bethany Lopez - 2012
    Suddenly single, Briana focuses her energy on her friendships and the pursuit of her own goal of becoming a chef. Just when Bri finally feels like she's on the right path, Colin comes back to town. Colin knew breaking up with Briana before leaving for college was the right thing to do. He was determined to leave small-town life behind forever and that included his high school girlfriend. But when a sports injury puts him on the sidelines he's forced to return home. Seeing Briana again brings back a lot of memories and Colin wonders if he made the right decision. It doesn't take long for him to realize he wants her back, and this time, he wants to make it last.Make it last is the first novella in the Friends & Lovers Trilogy. You can read all three books, plus a bonus ending for each couple, in the Friends & Lovers Trilogy Box Set. Series Reading Order:Make it LastI Choose YouTrust in Me

Dragonfly


Leigh Talbert Moore - 2013
    Pulling Anna into their extravagant lifestyle on the Gulf Coast, Lucy pushed her outside her comfort zone and Jack showed her feelings she's never experienced... Until he mysteriously withdrew.Anna turned to her internship at the city paper and to her old attraction for Julian, a handsome local artist and rising star, for distraction. But both led to her discovery of a decades-old secret closely guarded by the twins' distant, single father.It's a secret that could cost her the boy she loves and permanently change all their lives.

A Night to Forget


Jessica Wood - 2013
    The second book in this series, The Day to Remember was released in August 2013.What happens in Cancun doesn’t always stay in Cancun.When Emma Anderson and her friends decided to spend their senior year Spring Break in Cancun, she expected some crazy memories to end their final college days. What Emma didn’t expect was to meet Brandon Fisher. Tall and sexy, with dimples that would make any girl swoon, Brandon Fisher was literally the man of Emma’s dreams. She couldn't quite believe that this stranger, who seduced her every night in her dreams, actually existed.After serendipitously bumping into each other, Emma could not resist Brandon’s pull and spent an unforgettable night with him. Passing it off as a spring break fling, Emma never expected to see Brandon again. But when she started her first day at her new job a few months later, there he was. The only problem was, Brandon didn’t even remember her.

Hope's Chance


Jennifer Foor - 2012
    A Hope and a Chance is based on the story formally known as Hope's Chance with changes/updates to some character names and information.When Hope's parents divorced two years ago, her life was turned upside down. To pass the time and avoid family issues, she took extra classes and graduated six months before turning eighteen. After being estranged for more than a year, her father moves back to their hometown. Hope is reluctant to visit him for the first time, but her mother insists. The visit to his new mansion is not what she expected until she meets the secret guy living in the pool house.A year ago, Chance Avery was on his way to a law degree courtesy of Penn State University, but something terrible happened. Chance has lost everyone in his life, except for his sister. When she moves to Virginia, he has no choice but to come along. With an agreement to renovate the Mansion, he gets to live in the pool house on the property. His life is boring and meaningless, until one day someone comes barging in his door.When Hope and Chance run into each other again, they end up spending the night together, thinking they never have to see each other again. Then Hope finds out she has to move in with her father, who has already warned Chance that he is not allowed to touch his daughter.Staying apart is a lot harder than either of them expected, and soon their feelings intensify to a breaking point, leaving them helplessly in love with one another. Will they be able to hide their relationship until Hope turns eighteen?

Live for You


Marquita Valentine - 2013
    At barely twenty, Violet Lynn is Country Music's hottest star, until one night of partying gets out of control. Violet ends up in jail and on TMZ. Suddenly, she’s the girl least likely to be invited anywhere. Sick of the drama and keeping secrets, she runs away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi to her grandmother’s home in Forrestville, North Carolina.A chance meeting knocks Cole off his feet, but he doesn’t recognize Violet for who she is. In fact no one does and Violet plans to keep it that way. Circumstances, however annoying,keep throwing Violet and Cole together. Unable to stop themselves they give into the inevitable.But when Nashville is ready to forgive and forget, Violet is forced to choose between Cole and claiming her spot as the new and improved Princess of Country Music.Will Violet and Cole have the courage to live for their dreams...Or their hearts?

The Innocent Liar


Elizabeth Finn - 2014
    Eli sees through her lies, and regardless of the favor his father has asked of him, he’s just too stubborn to hire a woman who refuses to even give him her real name.But there is a reason for everything, and he finds out soon enough her deceptions have a purpose too.Secrets and lies are nothing to build a relationship on, but their attraction to one another is too intense to ignore. They’re simply magnets pulled together in a situation that should be driving them apart, but Eli has his own ghosts to contend with, and his past leaves him incapable of trusting a woman he can never fully know.How can they move beyond her lies when the truth is what Eli really needs, and when her past threatens to destroy her, can he rise above his own needs to protect her — his innocent liar?

Wicked Thing


Angeline Kace - 2013
    She learned at a young age not to trust anyone. Especially not your spouse. So she's planned. She's planned every detail of her life: who her husband will be, what their careers will be, what their lives will be like. All to avoid the pain of infidelity. Dallas Brown lives according to his own terms. He doesn't do relationships, he doesn't care what anyone thinks of him, and he doesn't live up to anyone's expectations. When Carmyn's fiancé cheats on her, it sends her into a whirlwind of one-night stands with the most infamous player on campus. She can't seem to stay away from this tough guy and his dangerous motorcycle. Everything about him is the complete opposite of who she'd planned to fall in love with: tattoos, dark stubble along his jawline, and hair that brushes his shoulders. As Dallas and Carmyn begin to fall deeper and deeper into each other, they learn that love can truly be a wicked, wicked thing.Sneak Peek of WICKED THING by Angeline Kace. New Adult Romance, Coming Sept 2013“What gives you the right? We are not together. Stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”Carmyn’s forehead creases, and if I were a fool, I’d say it was in pain.Her face flushes with anger. “You’re right, Dallas.” Her words are clipped and cold. A stark contrast to the heat radiating from her. “We’re not together and I had no right. I’m sorry.” She snatches her purse off my dresser and turns to leave.“Carmyn, wait.”She stops but doesn’t turn around.I’m confused. She won’t let me tell her how I feel, but I’m supposed to allow her to fix the most broken part of my life? A part of me wants her to. For her to be the one who makes the broken things work. But not like this. Not when she insists on keeping things the way they are. I can’t give myself to her if she won’t accept my heart, let alone give me hers.She marches to the door and flings it open.I want to tell her to wait, but I still don’t know what to say. I got what I wanted; she won’t try to push me about Denton anymore. Was it worth losing whatever part of her I had?I’m not sure it is.Meet Dallas and Carmyn this summer in WICKED THING by Angeline Kace. For more details and teasers, visit her website at www.angelinekace.com.

Token


Kelly Gendron - 2017
    Little did I knowThe next Harley I'd pick upWould give me the ride of my lifeHarley Redbourne is beautifulSelf-destructive, unpredictable, sassy, temptressAnd my mission to take her just got complicated ~ Token Kane One week out of the yearOn the anniversary of the death of my familyI put away my good-girl, free the darkness, and completely let goThis year, my plans were cut short by TokenKaneThe ex-boxer hired to bring me back to CaliforniaAnd, while I was thrown-off by the sexy, Irish rogueI'm still not going anywhere with him ~ Harley Redbourne Will Harley continue downa self-destructive path, or will she change gears and give intothe undeniable attraction she has for the alpha brute and seewhere he might take her?USA TODAY Bestselling Author of Breaking the Declan Brothers Series, now brings you Daring the Kane Brothers! TOKEN is book #1 of five new shameless, sexy, and daring brothers who will make you blush all over!Warning ~ This book contains explicit sex scenes, graphic language, and is intended for mature audiences.

The Darkest Part


Trisha Wolfe - 2013
    She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her. New Adult Contemporary coming this year.

Sweet Girl


Cristin Harber - 2014
     Nicola Hart grew up under the heels of her older brother and his sexy best friend, Cash Garrison. Years of ignoring her spark with Cash has transformed their friendship into a slow burning sizzle. One night with him could ruin everything. Or it could be more than she ever dreamed. They play. They flirt. But they haven't crossed the line because too much is at stake. Family. Friendship. And the deepest kind of love that she'd have to be crazy to walk away from. She's his best friend's little sister. The definition of hands off. Cash has tried to ignore her for years. Those innocent eyes and her smile that screams kiss-me-if-you-dare... Instead, he's looked at every pretty little thing who's crossed his path, all to ignore the girl he seems destined to want. But when his hard partying ways get old and everyone at school is interested in Nicola, it's time to stake a claim. To make Nicola his girl, no matter the risks, and hold the hand of the one he really loves.