Book picks similar to
We Were One by Elizabeth Reyes


new-adult
arc
suspense
hero-not-celibate-during-separation

Get to You


Albany Walker - 2018
    She is a survivor who has built a safe network around herself. While, her monthly book club lets her express her love of cooking and romance novels. Books are the closest she can get to experiencing a love-life of her own as the scars of her past have made it difficult for her to trust men. A trip to the local grocer’s shakes up Sam’s routine. She meets the mysterious Beau Winchester, a striking man with an odd habit of disappearing just when Sam thinks she might want to get to know the man who’s always concealing his face behind the bill of a faded baseball cap. Beau cannot seem to stay away from Sam for long, her sassy attitude and curvaceous figure tempt him. Their budding relationship must now survive lies, deceit, and scandal. If not, their past might end up burying them.

Bad Cruz


L.J. Shen - 2021
    Cruz Costello is my archenemy.But that would require acknowledging one another, which we haven’t done in over a decade.He’s the town’s golden child. The beloved quarterback-turned-physician.I’m the girl who got knocked up at sixteen and now works at a diner.He is Fairhope royalty.I get my monarch dose from tabloid gossip.He’s well-off.I’m…well, off.When our siblings get engaged, Cruz’s parents invite both families to a pre-wedding cruise.Except Cruz and I find ourselves stuck on a different ship from everyone else.Cue ten horrible, insufferable days at sea with a man I cannot stand.(My fault, of course.)But when the alcohol pours in, the secrets spill out, and I’m left with one question:Can I take another chance on love?

Hollow


Teresa Mummert - 2016
    I would do whatever it takes to climb my way to the top of the social ladder, not caring who I had to step on to get there. The girl who started that rumor about your eating disorder? That was me. The girl who made out with your boyfriend? Me again. The girl you don’t ever want to cross? You’re looking at her, bitch.

Bad News


Lilly James - 2017
    Or to grieve in a way that is expected. The loss of a loved one can hit you in ways you could never imagine. At least, it did to Hunter Holland. College Junior Hunter knows he messes up; he knows he hates his life; he also knows he blames his father for his mother’s death. What he doesn’t know is that his life is about to change–all thanks to Louisa Dawson. Louisa, the freshman, is sweet. Shy. Innocent. She doesn’t care for boys, but rather books. Hunter is crazy, a player, and as cocky as they come. The college ‘bad news’ is everything she wants to stay away from, yet he is everything she is drawn to. Focused on her studies, Louisa doesn’t have time for Hunter who is both distracting and disruptive, but Louisa is the breath of fresh air Hunter needs. She is the only girl he is willing to work for. She is also the only girl that understands why Hunter is living the life he is. Louisa is determined to prove to Hunter that living in a tormented past is never going to guarantee a happy future. They say opposites attract… maybe they do.

Always Rayne


Sierra Avalon - 2014
    With $85,000 of student loan debt about to go into repayment, she has no idea how she'll get by.Just when she thinks things couldn't get worse, Harper's boss decides to embed her in the North American tour for the hot rock band, Always Rayne. Ten days on the road with the band for her to get an exclusive story. But Harper's a homebody and the last thing she wants to do is go on the road with a rock band. And she definitely doesn't want to spend ten days with the notorious bad boy and band front man, Nic Rayne.When Nic proves to be too much for Harper to handle and she threatens to quit the assignment, Nic decides to sweeten the pot. If she stays with the tour for all ten days, he'll pay off all of her student loan debt....but there's one small catch.Harper also has to sleep in his bed every night.ALWAYS RAYNE is the first novel in the ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER New Adult Rock Star Romance Series. ALWAYS RAYNE can be read as a STAND ALONE NOVEL or as part of the SERIES.THE ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER New Adult Rock Star Romance Series continues with:SOMETIMES BROOKE (Brooke & Leo's Story)NEVER RAVEN (Raven & Xander's Story)Due to mature LANGUAGE and CONTENT, ALWAYS RAYNE is recommended for readers aged 18+.

Ask Me Why


Harloe Rae - 2019
    Two slow blinks. Three hollow beats. I’m still here. After three years, that reminder isn’t as necessary. But everyone has their bad days. This is definitely one of them. Until an adorable little boy dashes into my store. His zest for life makes me smile in a way that’s been long lost. Then I meet his father. Well, confront is more like it. Brance Stone is volatile. Offensive. Harsh. And can’t be bothered to care. Not that I want him to. I get frostbite just looking into Brance’s glacial stare. But there’s something undeniable about him. My misery suddenly craves company. The suffocating numbness lifts whenever Brance is near. That alone should have me running in the opposite direction. Try as I might, there’s no avoiding him. If only I could understand why. As if he’d let me. I don’t ask. He doesn’t tell. A silent, bitter truce settles between us. That was our first mistake. It’s certainly not the last.

What If


Rebecca Donovan - 2014
    After all, no one has seen or heard from her since they graduated over a year ago.Except this girl isn't Nicole.She looks exactly like Cal's shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. This girl is impulsive and daring, her passion for life infectious. The complete opposite of Nicole. Cal finds himself utterly fascinated-and falling hard. But Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she's hiding, the less he wants to know.When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: Nothing is what it seems.

Crave


B.J. Harvey - 2015
    She encourages me to embrace who I truly am, and is willing to do anything and everything I want, giving herself to me to satisfy my most carnal appetite.Then everything in my carefully managed world comes crashing down around me at the hands of a stranger bent on destruction. A moment in time, a loss of control, and the very thing I cherish is nearly taken from me.My fate now lies in her hands and the very thing I crave, may now be the end of me.

One Careful Owner


Jane Harvey-Berrick - 2017
    (Standalone)Alex is lost and alone, with only his dog, Stan for company. He doesn’t expect kindness from anyone anymore, but sometimes hope can be found in the most unlikely places. He has a second chance at happiness, but there’s a dark side to Alex, and a reason that more than one person has called him crazy.Single mother Dawn is doing just fine. Except that her ex- is a pain in the a**, her sister isn’t speaking to her, and her love life is on the endangered list.At least her job as a veterinarian is going well. Until a crazy-looking guy arrives at her office accompanied by an aging dog with toothache. Or maybe Alex Winters isn’t so crazy after all, just … different. Dawn realizes that she’s treated him the same way that all the gossips in town have treated her—people can be very cruel. * * * * * * * * * * * *"You know that feeling you get in your stomach when you drive over a hill really fast? That's what I felt." T. Allen * Contains scenes of an adult nature. *

Kiss and Break Up


Ella Fields - 2019
     Dashiell Thane wasn’t a nice guy. He was an abrasive, demanding, conniving, intolerable brat. Yet somehow, we’d been best friends our whole lives. Until our senior year when I finally decided to dip my toes into the dating pool. All it took was one kiss for jealousy, lies, and betrayal to sweep in and propel us heart first into dizzying, hostile depths. You’re not supposed to kiss your best friend. You’re definitely not supposed to kiss your best friend while you’re dating someone else. And the absolute worst thing you could do is fall for your best friend. Unless, of course, you want to ruin everything.

Enraptured


Alannah Carbonneau - 2013
    Loving her has never come with choice – it consumed and burned and before I knew it I was hers. DaceA man is defined by the secrets he keeps and the demons he carries. I never knew I longed for light until the rays burned me. Now, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to hold tightly to the light I’ve captured. She’s a good girl and she’s come from a good world. We’re as opposite as opposite can be, but she’s the other side of my coin – the day to my night. She’s the truth to my secrets and the redemption to my sins. Her heart is my salvation and her body is my obsession. But loving her comes with a risk I’m not sure I can take. Ella He’s become my safe place when everything I knew disintegrated around me. In his arms, I find solace and safety and laughter in a time where I’m suffocated by pain. He came into my world without any warning, conquering and claiming. They tell me he’s dark and dangerous. I’ve been warned and I know I should stay away, but I can’t seem to help myself. He’s a craving I can’t deny when the world keeps tossing us together. I know there are things I don’t know, but every layer I uncover reveals a man my soul seems to recognize. He’s chiseling away my heart, but I’m unsure if he’s invading the fractured pieces, or stealing them. Either way, I don’t think I have the strength to deny him. Even if I did, I don’t know if I would. Is it really up to me to decide if love prevails over darkness? Or, are some plans fated long before we come to be? I’m beginning to believe I was fated for him – crafted entirely to enrapture all that he is.

Mr. Mayfair


Louise Bay - 2021
    Two months ago he decided he wanted a break. I still thought he was my happily ever after.On any other day, knowing he was gone for good would be the worst thing that could possibly happen. But not today. Because not only is my boyfriend getting married—his bride is my best friend.And they’ve sent me an invitation.There’s no way I’m going to attend. I don’t care if it’s in beautiful Scotland.Nothing and no one could convince me.Not even when a deliciously handsome stranger tells me he needs to go as my plus one.Not even when he shoots me a wickedly, sexy smile.But then he offers me the opportunity of a lifetime—a dream come true. How can I say no?But I have one condition. He has to be my new boyfriend. I mean, my pretend new boyfriend.I'm about to find out that faking it can be a whole lot of fun.

Save Her


Flora Burgos - 2017
     Katherine thought they had forever, but Sean was looking for a way out. The day of his high school graduation Sean left the girl he loved and the ranch he resented in his rearview mirror. Katherine was left to put the pieces of her shattered heart back together and figure out a new future. After making his mark on the world Sean has come back to the girl he left behind over a decade ago, and is looking for a way to make her his again. When tragedy rocks the very foundation of Katherine’s life, leaving her with a target on her back, Sean will do anything to keep her safe. But rebuilding the trust he once shared with Katherine isn’t easy, and he doesn’t realize he may have waited too long to come home to the only girl he’s ever loved. If he’s not careful, it may be too late to Save Her.

Layers of Her


Prescott Lane - 2016
    If that’s the case, I’m screwed. On the outside, everything looks put together — blonde hair, blue eyes, tall and lean. By society’s standards, I’d be considered attractive. But f*ck society, I know what I am. I know what I’m made of. The recessive genes that reared their heads and created a decent looking package on the outside don’t make me who I am. What about all the evil lurking inside? What about all the other parts of me that aren’t so easy to see? Some of the most beautiful animals are also the deadliest. Take the polar bear, for example. Cute and cuddly on the outside, but it’s really a predator that will bite your f*cking head off. That’s a dangerous combination. And that’s exactly like me, exactly who I am. Bad — and once you go bad, you can never go back. WARNING: This book deals with the harsh reality of rape that could be upsetting for some readers.

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.***