Book picks similar to
Decline by Michelle Irwin


romance
sports
contemporary-romance
contemporary

Edge of Glory


Magan Vernon - 2016
    I'm Lia and I'll nguhhhhhhhhhhhhh". I froze. Directly facing me was Olympic swimmer, Jay Morningstar… and I just made an idiot of myself. The rest of the table looked up to see me standing there with my mouth practically gaping. His coach, who I recognized from TV interviews, and even two other swimmers from the Olympic team... they didn't say anything, they didn't even blink. "Uh… I mean…" I couldn't even put together my words and Jay Morningstar was just staring at me with that Wheaties box smile and those icy blue eyes. What was I supposed to say? "Sorry I just made a weird noise, it's just that I have a poster of you on my wall where you are wearing nothing more than your gold medals, a smile, and a pair of man panties?"

Meant to Be


Melody Grace - 2017
    Now discover the romance, laughter, and happily-ever-afters waiting for you in her new series, Sweetbriar Cove!Poppy Somerville believes in happily-ever-after. It’s the reason her romance novels have won devoted readers all over the world—and why she’s broken off her engagement just weeks before the wedding instead of settling for less than true love. Escaping to her aunt’s beach cottage in Sweetbriar Cove, Poppy is looking for inspiration to end her writer’s block and finish her new book. She just wasn’t counting on the handsome, gruff contractor making such a racket next door…Cooper Nicholson doesn’t believe in soul-mates. He thought he’d found his forever once, and the world proved him wrong, so when the cute brunette comes storming over and demands he keep the noise down, romance is the last thing on his mind. But his new neighbor is full of surprises, and soon, their chemistry is too hot to ignore. As they grow closer, they discover fiction has nothing on the plot twists life has in store. But will Cooper find a way to let go of the past and risk his heart again? And can Poppy find her happy ending — on and off the page? Find out in the new sweet and sexy small-town romance from New York Times bestselling author, Melody Grace!

Wet


Stacy Kestwick - 2015
    Wouldn’t have dived in after him.Wouldn’t have met West Montgomery.The cocky bastard should have been thankful, grateful even. Of course, he wasn’t.That should have been the end of it. Of course, it wasn’t.Damn doughnuts.

So I'm a Double Threat


Julie Prestsater - 2009
    Expectations and hopes are high for their Freshman year. Meggie wants nothing more than to experience all high school has to offer – growing freedom, hot boys, parties, make-out sessions, and did I mention hot boys? Enter Alex Aguilar. At seventeen, he is Carver High’s sports superstar and dreamy superstud. Yet, despite the hype, Alex is undeniably sweet, and Meggie is beyond smitten. But, of course, he is a SENIOR. So, ought to be completely off limits for a ninth grader, right? Age doesn’t always dictate whom you will love, though. So I’m A Double Threat is the start of their journey. Will young love survive the challenges presented them or is friendship all they can only really hope for? Backs will be stabbed, hearts will be broken, tears will be shed. But, despite this, Meggie’s strong-willed determination, loyalty, and zest for fun, will ensure the ride is a memorable one. (This book has mature content intended for older young adult audiences.)

A Soft Place to Fall


Barbara Bretton - 2001
    All she needs is courage, and time. The last thing she needs is a handsome, charming next-door neighbor...

Shadowboxer


Cari Quinn - 2014
    I’ve faced the darkest parts of life and survived. But now I’m starting a new life with my baby sister. And that means I need cash.Quick. To get the money I need, I’m going to beat the reigning king of the male fighters in New York’s underground MMA circuit, Tray “Fox” Knox. Tray refuses to fight a woman, until he learns I’m not what he expected. At all. Then he makes me a bet I can’t refuse. He’ll fight me, but if he wins, I will spend the night in his bed. All night long, his rules. No tapping out. I agree, certain he will lose. Because I have to win. I have no choice. What I didn’t realize is that Tray loves to fight dirty…and that this match may end up being the most important one of our lives.Author’s note: Shadowboxer is a full-length MMA novel and is book 1 in the Tapped Out MMA series. It has a happily ever after ending and no cliffhanger, though it contains violent material that may be triggering. It was previously published by Cari Quinn in 2014 and has been lightly re-edited.

Surrender to Fate


Jacelyn Rye - 2013
    The story of young love and the intimate moments were fresh and full of hope." ~Literati Literature Lovers "Surrender To Fate made me speechless. How is it possible for someone to write a love story and make a reader actually feel the love the characters shared? I loved this story. My emotions were hanging by a thin thread!" ~Chasing Pages Book Blog How do you fight against fate? You don't. You can't. You can only surrender to fate in Jacelyn Rye's new release!   Some say fate holds the cards. But what if love deals the hand? No love goes untested. Ever. Indeed, true love is left to prove itself. And that is exactly where fate steps in to play the game.   For William and Sarah, that game begins with growing up, in the unspoiled mountains of Colorado. In a time and space as clear as the Rocky Mountain skies above, these young souls together learn about life, what matters most, what endures, what doesn’t, and about love. Innocent young love moves ever so surely toward lives they both can picture, lives spent loving each other in a place they know so well and cherish.   Will and Sarah are ecstatically swept away in the swells of new love. And it is in their rarefied bliss that they make the fragile promise of first love, a promise that fate will soon rock and pound into doubt, guilt, and epiphany.   Unexpected and unprepared, these young lovers are suddenly torn apart, first by distance, and then by the far greater pressures of temptation that test the very fidelity of their heart-held promise. No longer able to console each other, hold each other, touch each other, they face the inevitable decision: move on to other loves, or cling to the faith that they will someday be together, again.   Will and Sarah stare down an unknown path, sensing destiny will not wait long before it comes to take them. Wracked with doubt, they wonder if their love was real. Caged by guilt, they both feel tempted by others intent on stealing their hearts. Fate plays hardest when love is tested. And Will and Sarah are no exception, letting go of their happy past to embrace hope for an uncharted future. Love plays hardest when fate tests. And so it is, even through their trials of the heart, Will and Sarah never really stop loving each other. Theirs is a love so real and pure that each just wants the other to find happiness, even if it's with another.   But fate does not surrender so easily. Dealing blow upon blow, both Will and Sarah are each struck by jolting events that take them to the very edge of life, itself. Sarah and Will hold tightly to their past, but steadfast promises begin to wane. Life continues, filled with romance, drama, and two souls yearning to understand the challenges brought with coming of age, and learning that fate is ultimately in control. What happens to love when life is on the line? Can they both relinquish control when love is on the line? Will fate even allow them to find out? This is book one of the New Adult Romance Series: Fate's Path. The books are not stand alone. For your reading enjoyment, please read the books in order.

Dissident


Cecilia London - 2015
    After losing her husband, she is raising two small children alone while trying to navigate the tricky and sometimes shallow halls on Capitol Hill. A string of nasty speeches has her scrambling to apologize to any number of candidates, including newly elected Republican Jack McIntyre. Falling in love again is the last thing on her mind.Jack McIntyre might have a reputation as a playboy, but he has his sights set solely on his new colleague. Can he break through Caroline’s grief and capture her heart? Told mostly in flashback and set against a chilling fascist backdrop, Dissident is a rollercoaster ride of political intrigue, passionate contemporary romance, and undying love. For readers 18+. Ends in a cliffhanger. The first part in a six book saga.

Alluring Turmoil


Skye Turner - 2013
    The past couple of years have been all she’s dreamed of and her business takes all of her focus, all of her heart. Jude Delecroix is the lead singer of one of the most famous rock bands in the country, Bayou Stix, and the man who broke Lexi’s heart. Lexi and Jude have a past. When Jude comes back to town eight years after leaving to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a famous musician and comes face to face with Lexi, forces collide, old hurts are brought to the surface, and life as these two have been living it will never be the same. There are two sides to every story, and what happens when the things you believed to be concrete suddenly crumble like ash and fade away? What happens when two people afraid to face the past, become involved in the present? Can they hope for a future?Welcome to Louisiana where humidity and passion are high and things are not always what they seem. ***Contains graphic sex and language. Not for young readers.***

Made for Us


Samantha Chase - 2015
    And Aiden has managed pretty well so far. But his father is starting to worry he’s neglected himself. At the age of thirty-four, he is successful and handsome, and he still has no grandchildren!Aiden’s met plenty of attractive women over the years, but who has the time? It isn’t until he meets Zoe, a designer on one of his jobs, that he starts realizing he wants something more...

Commitment


T.K. Leigh - 2018
    After all, she's my sister's best friend. Not to mention, she buried any animosity she held toward me and helped raise my two little girls when my ex split without a single glance back.But when I learn the man she's been dating has proposed, I'm faced with a decision.Do I finally tell Brooklyn the reason I betrayed her trust all those years ago?Or do I watch her marry another man to protect her from suffering any more heartache?
Commitment is the first book in the Redemption Duet. Binge-read this angst-filled second chance, best friend's brother romance today!

Sparrows for Free


Lila Felix - 2014
    Some stay quiet—and some rule your soul with an iron fist.Ezra is ruled by the ghosts of his past—and needled by the guilt they create. Not only does he have to manage his own guilt—his friends are forced to bear the weight as well. He lives in limbo, never dreaming of anything that lies beyond the grave.In his mind, he’s a murderer, pure and simple.Hide and seek is Aysa’s game. She begs for small spaces and empty places. But, she secretly desires so much more.When they find each other, a hope for something new is sprung.But Ezra’s skeletons are out for blood.“I hide shock well. I’m a pro at hiding. I have no idea that whatever he had to tell me would be so personal—so heartbreaking. But, I quickly remembered that heartbreak was all around him every time he turned around. He needs no more empathy or sympathy in his life. He craves someone to give him a different take on a tired situation.And different is practically my middle name.”

High Stakes Seduction, Book 1


Ami LeCoeur - 2014
     But her father wasn't faring well. Between his binge drinking and gambling, he didn't have much time or energy left for his daughters. When threats started coming in, demanding payment for the debts he'd racked up, he took off, leaving the two girls to fend for themselves. Several months later, Angela receives a call that changes their lives forever. The call closes the door on their father's disappearance, but sets in motion a new set of dangers and complications, including the powerful, and mysteriously connected fashion mogul, Antonio Mancini. Antonio is attractive, remote, and very much in control. He quite literally holds the key to their security and wellbeing in his hands. Surprisingly he offers Angela a job, and the means to repay her father's debts... but the conditions require her to step way outside her normal boundaries. When Angela accepts the new challenges before her, she must battle her growing attraction for Antonio, and conquer her own fears and secrets. The stakes are high - she and her sister could lose everything if she doesn't follow the rules to this game he's set up. This steamy novella is book 1 in the ongoing serial that concludes with book 5. It contains adult material suited for 18+ year olds.

Every Breath You Take


Blair Babylon - 2015
     But Alexandre has a dark side. His name is Xan Valentine, and he’s the rock star front man for Killer Valentine. He’s famous, but his paparazzi-dogged lifestyle might get Georgie killed.

The Scotch Series: The Complete Series


Penelope Sky - 2017
    He took my intelligence without paying for it. And thought he could get away with it. Think again. Now I’ll take something from him—something irreplaceable. His sister. Collateral. But even when Joseph doubles the amount of money he owes me, I don’t give her up. Nope. I have an image to maintain. So I keep her. And I’m not giving her up. The Scotch Queen I wasn't sure what changed my mind about giving London to Bones, but something did. Now London is officially mine. She's sassy, feisty, and she still tells me off when I have her under my thumb. I love it. Now I have a deal with the Barsetti brothers, Josephine is still pining for me, and revenge is heavy on my mind. I'm not sure what to do with London now that I'm not gonna kill her. But I'm certainly not going to fall in love with her. The Scotch Royals London is a lot more useful than I anticipated. She gets me what I need like a pro. With her by my side, I feel like I can do anything. My need for revenge is dimmed. My anger is contained. But her brother is still a problem. She wants me to let him go. I'm not sure if I can.