Book picks similar to
Just Breathe by Tamara Mataya


new-adult
romance
contemporary-romance
contemporary

On the Rocks


Sawyer Bennett - 2014
    Now he’s returned home to the sand and salty breeze of the North Carolina Outer Banks so he can open The Last Call, a beach bar nestled among the dunes of the Atlantic.Five years ago, Gabby Ward drunkenly threw herself at her best friend’s brother, only to have her young heart crushed. Hunter is back but Gabby is content to stay far away from him and his dangerously charming ways. Gabby’s well-schemed plans to ignore Hunter go up in flames when he presents her an offer she simply can’t refuse. Working together day in and day out proves problematic for two reasons—Gabby realizes her feelings for Hunter are still very much alive, while Hunter struggles to break through to Gabby’s cold heart. What starts out as a mutual business arrangement soon turns into a passion that neither can deny.But when the pro surfing tour comes knocking and Hunter has a chance to reclaim his former glory, hard choices lie ahead for both of them.Choices that could destroy what they have built or take them further than they could ever dare to hope in their second chance at romance.

Once upon a Time


S.K. Hartley - 2014
    I don't believe in glass slippers. I don't believe in Prince-Freaking-Charming. Cinderella can kiss my ass. I kiss frogs, sometimes even toads. I've given up on meeting Mr. Right, instead it seems all I meet is Mr. Wrong, Mr. Very-Wrong and even, Mr. Lets-Not-Even-Go-There. Fairy tales are for morons. Well that's what I thought until Gabriel Black barged through my life, turning everything upside down. He's hot, sexy and a little rough around the edges. But, there's a dark secret deep inside, I can see it, taste it and smell it. Now I'm left wondering if he's my Prince Charming or my fairy tale villain. Will I ride away safely into the night, dreaming of happily ever afters? Or, will I stumble and fall in ridiculously high heels only meant for women with a death wish? Once Upon A Time... I met Gabriel Black. - STANDALONE. NO CLIFFHANGER. ROM-COM WITH A TWIST. A modern twist on the legendary fairy tale, Cinderella, but this isn't your average fairy tale. * Intended for audiences over the age of 18. Contains sexual situations, adult language and one hot alpha male who stops at nothing to get what he wants. The heroine? Well, we'll just call her stubborn... for now. *

All the Way


Jennifer Probst - 2013
    Three years ago, they had an intense affair—and then he bolted. Now he’s back, and Miranda has the pleasure of a little payback: a scathing review of his restaurant. Revenge is a dish best served the first chance you get…And the restaurateur…With three months to make his family’s struggling Italian restaurant successful, a bad review is Gavin’s worst nightmare. But this isn’t just about the meal. He's finally realized what he left behind and is determined to spend the next eight weeks proving himself to her in the kitchen…and in the bedroom! This is one dish she won’t be able to refuse...

Entice


S. Layne - 2015
    When the most difficult decision of Laurie Baker’s life needed to be made, she took off for a weekend alone to weigh her pros and cons and consider all her options.What she didn’t expect was to run face first into one more complication her life didn’t need.Distracting, sexy, and British, Liam Parker offered Laurie exactly what she needed when she was desperate for attention.One night of pleasure.She wanted it.She craved it.She took it.And when the sunlight dawned and the lusty haze of one night of passion disappeared and reality revealed itself…Laurie returned home knowing that everything she had once believed, everything she had once loved and desired, was about to be tossed upside down and shaken in a way she could never imagine.

Wish You Were Mine


Tara Sivec - 2017
    I would've stayed away longer if I hadn't received the letter. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about her, haven't missed her smile, haven't wished that things were different.The last time I saw my two best friends, I vowed to not stand in the way of their happiness, even if that meant I couldn't be a part of their lives. Cameron James and her emerald-green eyes were too much of a temptation and I couldn't stay and watch them together. Cameron deserved better than me. She deserved him.But now that I am back, things are different. I'm not going to stand by and watch the woman I've always loved slip away again. I'm done living my life with regrets and I'm ready to tell her the truth. And I'll do whatever it takes to show her that I always wished she was mine.

Head Over High Heels


Lila Monroe - 2016
    And he's a breath of fresh air! Discover the sizzling romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Christina Lauren, and Julia Kent!Laurel Young needs a plan, and fast. After her reality TV boss has a major meltdown, not-so-funemployment seems inevitable--unless she can pitch the idea of a lifetime. When she sees Flint McKay's audition tape - flanneled, handsome as hell, and building a house with his own two hands - she knows she's found her secret weapon. The women of America are going to love him, especially if she can convince him to try building without the flannel shirt.Only problem is, Flint didn't make that tape - and he has zero interest in trading the wilds of Western Massachussetts for the bright lights of Hollywood. But Laurel isn't the kind of girl to take no for an answer. Soon, she's knee-deep in rustic charm, and getting plenty of hands-on experience. And it turns out, this city girl and country guy may have a few things in common after all, like crazy hot chemistry, a wild side, and a weakness for good whiskey...But can their behind-the-scenes connection last once the world falls in love with Flint? And will this be the big break both of them need- or leave them in the dirt?Find out in the hilarious stand-alone romantic comedy from Lila Monroe!(note: this book was previously published as 'Rugged Billionaire')

Trust


Terry Towers - 2014
    She comes from a great family and has a future at Stanford University to look forward to... until the night she is abducted by masked men with the intention of selling her to the highest bidder, leaving the people in her town heartbroken and desperate for answers on her disappearance. Lance Winters is the son of the man called “The Boss.” He's gradually being introduced to the “family business” with the intent of him becoming the right-hand man of his father's human trafficking organization. Little does his father know, Lance has his own agenda when it comes to the organization that has taken his father over a decade to build. When Lance is assigned to train Gwen, to make her the perfect slave for sale, he's hesitant. He can't become emotionally tied to the slaves or it could ruin his plans. Training new slaves isn't part of his agenda, but there is something about her sweet innocence that touches him and the thought of any of the monsters working for his father touching her is unthinkable. Is it possible for Lance to gain the young woman's trust and perhaps even save her life when he's one of the bad guys keeping her from everything she's ever known and loved? Can she ever understand that sometimes it takes an even bigger monster to stop a monster?

No Attachments


Tiffany King - 2013
    She knows she left behind a trail of pain, but in the long run, her betrayal will hurt less than the truth. She now has one goal: Live life to the fullest with no regrets and no attachments. She has high hopes that a move to new surroundings will provide the escape she desires, but what Ashton doesn't count on is how fate always seems to find a way to screw up any good plan. Sometimes, when love comes knocking, the pull is too strong not to answer. Suddenly, what she thought she wanted to escape from is what Ashton now wants more than anything.Nathan Lockton has one mission: find his target and complete the task he was hired to do—no attachments and no emotion necessary. He's done it over and over again. What he thought was a typical lost-and-found job has turned into a life examining moment as Nathan is forced to deal with something he has always ignored--his feelings. Now faced with a decision, Nathan must choose to either follow his heart or complete the job.Love can come when you least expect it. The question is: If the odds are stacked against you, how far are you willing to go for the one you love?Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations, language and mature subject matter.

Tap


Georgia Cates - 2015
    That’s all she was when I agreed to play a part in deceiving her. But then the unplanned happened.We met. And all I wanted from her was a dirty weekend . . . until that wasn’t enough and I longed for so much more.Lawrence Thorn suddenly means the world to me. And that’s a problem. She’s my business partner’s sister. Forbidden fruit. Pursuing her can mean trouble for me at Lovibond Brewery. But I don’t care.I yearn for her skin against mine.I crave her smell on my body.I want to make her laugh and then hear her moan my name.And she does for a brief moment in time.But Lawrence wants more than I’m able to give. And it’s a damn shame because there’s no one on earth I want more than her.An epic love.A miserable ending.Unless it’s not.

Taint


S.L. Jennings - 2014
     Oh, stop it. Don’t cringe. No one under the age of 80 clutches their pearls. You might as well get used to it, because for the next six weeks, you’re going to hear that word a lot. And you’re going to say it a lot. Go ahead, try it out on your tongue. F*ck. F***ck. Ok, good. Now where were we? If you enrolled yourself in this program then you are wholly aware that you’re a lousy lay. Good for you. Admitting it is half the battle. For those of you that have been sent here by your husband or significant other, dry your tears and get over it. You’ve been given a gift, ladies. The gift of mind-blowing, wall-climbing, multiple-orgasm-inducing sex. You have the opportunity to f*ck like a porn star. And I guarantee, you will when I’m done with you. And who am I? Well, for the next six weeks, I will be your lover, your teacher, your best friend, and your worst enemy. Your every-f*cking-thing. I’m the one who is going to save your relationship and your sex life. I am Justice Drake. And I turn housewives into whores. Now…who’s first?

Two Roads


L.M. Augustine - 2013
    Friendless and alone, she takes on the mean girl role in hopes it will make her feel better--and Logan serves as the perfect target. He infuriates her with his obnoxiously long lashes, his all too perfect dimpled smile, and his complete lack of personality outside of his intelligence. It doesn't hurt that he's part of the reason her brother is dead, either. So Cali hates him, and he returns the favor. Thus, their prank-filled, insult-driven rivalry is born, and torturing Logan quickly becomes the highlight of her life.But when Cali's parents set them up on a blind date, she begins to realize Logan might not be as boring as she always thought. He shares her love of poetry, takes a sadistic pleasure in making fun of crepes, and he makes her blush when he calls her smile pretty.And hey, maybe those long lashes of his aren't that obnoxious after all… Two Roads is New Adult Romance about finding love, standing out, and learning to embrace who you are. It contains some language and mild sexual content.

Love, Your Concierge


Jessica Ingro - 2014
    Control—it’s my middle name.Hello. I’m Elizabeth – your personal concierge. My job is to play fairy godmother to the rich and famous.The universal rule book may say to never mix business with pleasure, but its author never worked for Grant Morgan, my sexy and brooding client. As a top attorney in Manhattan, Grant is used to calling the shots and dominating everything he touches. He also changes girlfriends as often as I pick up his dry cleaning. A part of me still wishes I could let him command my body and take me in ways I've never imagined, though. One moment of weakness is all it takes to change everything forever. Addicted—I can’t get enough of him. Consumed—He’s all I think and dream about.The book has officially been thrown out the window. I’m in love and completely terrified. With lines blurred, I find myself lying, cheating and stealing to protect myself from being hurt. But my choices affect more than just me and now I’m not so sure what I’m trying to protect myself from.Will love be enough to erase all I've done? Or have I made the biggest mistake of all?

Perfectly Imperfect


Harper Sloan - 2015
    A fairy tale that had girls pretending they were the fairest, the most beautiful, and the most entitled. A fairy tale most couldn’t grow out of turned my haunted childhood memories into a living nightmare. Girls who grew up believing that pile of garbage became the meanest of all ‘mean girls.’And those mean girls were right – it was a line meant for all the beautiful people in the world – and I knew the answer would never be me.The women with long legs, flat stomachs, and perfect chests.The type of women Kane Masters gravitated toward.Well, that’s definitely not Willow Tate.No. That will never be me.Because I’m completely imperfect.And … I hate myself.I have no idea what Kane could possibly see in someone like me when he could have them.

Across the Ocean


Heather Sosbee - 2013
    When everything in her life seems to fall apart, she takes it as a sign that now is the time to go. She heads to the land where the sun doesn’t set, the mountains are fierce, and the hot pools are divine.Ari is the handsome Viking that Brooke has fallen for over the years through the internet. Now that she finally gets to meet him in person, she’s unprepared for how steamy things are between them. Only Ari isn’t available. He’s involved with a woman whose jealousy brings nothing but torment between Brooke and Ari. Will Ari choose Brooke? Or will she be forced to leave all of her dreams behind?This book is for mature audiences only, due to sexual content, language, and difficult scenarios.

Without You


Julie Prestsater - 2014
    But what happens when music is the thing that tears them apart? Evan James had it all. Drop-dead sexy, brilliantly talented musician, a skyrocketing career and his high school sweetheart by his side. When he’s offered a golden opportunity to go on tour, he never imagined she wouldn’t go with him. Without her, he found his dream meant nothing. Three years later, bereft and alone, Evan stops at an open mic night and spots someone sitting in the audience, the beautiful face of a woman he’d never forget...Maddy, his one true love. Madison Grey had only ever loved one man. When Evan broke her heart she had no choice but to move on with her life, start a career of her own, and she even finds a new love. Still, thoughts of Evan were never put to rest. And on one fateful night, she unexpectedly hears him pour his heart out into a new song. A song about broken hearts, lost love, and second chances. A song about her. With the help of their scheming friends, Maddy and Evan are thrown into each other’s lives once more. While learning to love and trust again, there is only one thing left on both of their minds... Is life better with or without you?