Book picks similar to
Not at First by Phalla S. Rios


new-adult
love-triangle
college
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Just Fall


Annica Rossi - 2013
    John a fair hand, yet she considered herself lucky to be living on the majestic shores of Lake Michigan running the business her parents worked their whole lives to create... Until now.Facing the possibility of losing The Grandview Inn and her relationship with Jake Kennedy, the man she vowed to marry, “Lo” is desperate to hold on.In the middle of her anguish, the unexpected arrival of longtimeguests, Tom and Mary Blackwell, seems like a welcome relief, but just when she thinks things couldn’t get any worse, she discovers they’ve brought along an unwelcome ghost from her past.Enter the dangerously seductive Parker Blackwell, renowned poker player and notorious bad boy, with a propensity for kinky sex.Seven summers ago, the gauntlet was thrown down from the moment Lo and Parker laid eyes on each other. Too young to realize the gravity of their connection, their friendship grew until a series of tragic events began to unfold, and Parker mysteriously disappeared, leaving Lo heartbroken and unwilling to forgive.Grown up now, and suddenly forced to confront their unresolved feelings and undeniably explosive sexual attraction, the situation intensifies into an enticing and comical game of “it’s your move”. But when Parker raises the stakes too high will Lo put herself on the line to save everything she’s ever known?

Offbeat


S. Moose - 2015
    That’s not true. There are two types of love; the forever kind and the always kind. Forever love means you can’t live without that person. When you close your eyes the image you see is the two of you holding hands, sitting on the porch, and watching your grandchildren playing in the yard. You look over, smile, and whisper “we’ve lived a good life.”Always love means you keep that person in your heart. They’ve done something for you to make you realize who you are. This person means so much to you and lives in your heart.One night of truth.One night of passion.But all of that was taken in one night and I’m left alone.I’m fighting to breathe and holding onto the tiniest shred of hope I have. It’s a losing battle and I’m not sure how much more I can take. Every day is a struggle. That night still haunts me and I see his face. It’s been two years and slowly I’m piecing my life back together. Until one secret throws my life offbeat again.I'm Bayleigh Murphy, and this is my story, my journey of forever and always.

First Love


Kathy-Jo Reinhart - 2014
    Now, after walking in on her fiancé holding another woman’s legs in the air and screaming her name, Amber is headed back home to Oakville, ready for a fresh start in the town she’s always loved.Determined to get back to her life, Amber gets a waitressing job at KC’s Bar & Grille. After a few weeks of working there, she finally sets in to a happy routine with help from her new friend, Holly. That is, until she meets KC, the owner, her boss, and the man who just happens to be the reason she left so many years ago. The man she never got over. Enter Kyle. He’s sexy, charming, the lead singer of a small town band, and owner of KC’s Bar & Grille. When Amber left all those years ago, he became a shell of the man he was. Broken, confused, and desperate, Kyle began his new life where nothing mattered aside from music and women, sometimes more than one at a time. Finally realizing that he hated the person he was becoming, he moves back to Oakville with his band to focus on the bar. Still playing a few small gigs here and there, Kyle and his band return home after a month only to walk straight into Amber, the girl who broke his heart and left without a word. With a short, heated conversation revealing that it was all just a misunderstanding, Kyle and Amber are determined to start over again and let the past stay in the past. This is the second chance neither of them dreamed they would get and they aren’t going to waste it. Unfortunately, living in this small town isn’t as safe as it would seem. With people determined to tear them apart and old flings resurfacing, will Amber and Kyle be able to hold onto their second chance? Or will it all slip through their fingers?

Cutting Deep


Trish Anderson - 2013
    Fair warning.*****A sexy, comedic portrayal of a young woman running toward her future, who ends up crashing into love… again. Ande Taylor, a snarky, twenty something woman, has known one truth in her life:Failure is an option.In a last ditch effort to break her failing streak, she enrolls into a prestigious culinary school in the hopes of salvaging her bleak future, and comes face-to-face with Daniel Alan, her soon to be culinary instructor. Daniel is every woman's fantasy. He's hot, he can cook, and he has the heart and brain to match.The attraction is obvious, but Ande refuses to be pulled into the 'hot for teacher' cliché. She has plans: graduate culinary school and don't get her heart broken... again.But fate has a different plan and a whirlwind relationship forges between Ande and Daniel. All seems perfect in the world. That is until Ande's ex, Blake, comes back into the picture. Ande soon finds out that she isn't the only person harboring secrets about an old flame.She had her mind set on the future, but now, reliving the nightmare of her past may be her only chance at moving forward.Ande knows what she wants out of life, but is she prepared for what life wants out of her?Getting burned in the kitchen is the least of her worries, it’s the hot men in her life that she should be cautious of.

Chasing Luck


Brinda Berry - 2014
    Especially when you’re a sole survivor...At the age of seven, Malerie walked away from a bombing that left hundreds dead—including her mother. When a crazed gunman kills her guardian on her eighteenth birthday, Malerie suspects there may be more to her survival than luck. A mysterious code holds the key to her future, and a reluctant white knight holds the key to her heart.A loner wearing emotional armor…Ace is a twenty-year-old entrepreneur focusing on two things in life: financial security and a life without ties. A life that doesn't risk losing the ones who matter. When Ace is hired to secretly act as a bodyguard for Malerie, he faces an unwanted attraction that threatens to sabotage his heart. Can Ace find the courage to love a girl with a death wish? 9780991632039 - alternate cover edition

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.

Finding Destiny


Christa Simpson - 2014
    He has never strayed from those rules. And yet Destiny has him breaking every last one of them. Destiny was looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north. She figured surrounding herself with her two besties, at an expensive spa retreat, would beat away the winter blues. That was the plan. Destiny liked plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. Skylar never expected to find three ladies trudging through the snow. But after finding them stranded, in the middle of nowhere, during the biggest snow storm of the year, he’s forced to invite Destiny and her friends back to his cabin. Though he tried to ignore what was subtly unraveling between them, he couldn't discount their attraction. The way Destiny could read into his thoughts and the way his jealousy raged at the thought of his brother taking her to his bed, he knew he had better stake his claim. But when tragedy strikes, torn from her arms at lightning speed, Skylar’s left to wonder whether he would ever find his destiny.

Crazy Maybe


A.D. Justice - 2014
    But that wasn't always the case. Andi never knew what a “normal” life was like. Having been raised in foster care from the age of six after the death of her parents, Andi became emancipated at 16 after an especially horrible incident forced her into a psychiatric hospital. Luke Woods, the family black sheep and street-brawler, is determined to be a successful professional boxer despite his family’s protests. He needs Andi’s help to get there. The wedge between him and his family over his past relationship issues and career choices is not easily overcome. Luke must learn to face the past mistakes, fears and demons that constantly plague him. Fireworks and passions quickly ignite between Andi and Luke in the midst of the chaos that surrounds and threatens them. She never revealed the secrets and lies that have plagued her, but when she publicly inherits her family fortune, the living, breathing past comes back to torment her and threaten all that she holds dear. For the first time in her life, Andi must learn to rely on someone else to love and protect her or risk losing the man she loves. Sometimes love isn’t enough. Sometimes it’s all you need.

Breaking Elle


Antoinette Candela - 2013
    She discovers that certain people come into your life who make you question everything that you've ever believed about love and life. Will she risk everything for something exciting and dangerous or will she choose what is familiar and secure? Reed Austin isn't looking for love when he moves to Boston. The distance was supposed to help him escape the trouble he left behind. Once he meets, Elle, everything changes. Reed can't figure out why he's drawn to Elle, but one thing is certain - he needs her.Passion. Betrayal. Solace. Confusion. Desperation. Love and life are not simple and emotions and relationships are tested. Will attraction be enough or will their secrets and past keep them apart?

Between the Pain


Gia Riley - 2014
    A chance encounter on the first day has charming Ryan Andrews showing up everywhere she goes. With only a string of random hook-ups and one failed relationship in her past, Hallie isn’t used to being pursued. For the first time, two men desire her. Will she choose the right one – or does fate hold all the cards? Between the Pain is a Contemporary Romance novella about finding love - and being brave enough to follow your heart. Will Hallie end up in the arms of her true love or are the moments in between her pain forming the real story.Timing is everything. A fraction of a second, one altered course, one note -- change her life forever.

The Perfect Distraction


Melissa Rolka - 2013
    She pushes away the ghosts of her past, determined to start her college life single, carefree and distracted. Throughout high school Kate was reserved and shy, with little experience. Now, on her own, with little holding her back, Kate is ready to branch out. She bonds with a tight knit group of friends and even starts casually dating. What starts out as innocent flirting on the tennis courts slowly turns into a friendship and eventually something more complex. Reed comes into her life giving her the distraction she craves more than anything; but is she ready to give her heart away so easily?Things get complicated when Kate’s ex-boyfriend and first love continues to pursue her. Kyle deeply regrets breaking her heart when he left for college the year before and is now on a mission to reclaim her. Kyle’s persistence and relentlessness is nothing short of obsessive. He will stop at nothing to win her back and prove his love.Kate finds herself torn between her past and the unknown of the future. Her determination to stay distracted may just be her downfall or the beginning of something new and wonderful. ***For Mature Readers 18+***

Because of Lucy


Lisa Swallow - 2013
    A revised and expanded 2016 edition is now available***Recommended 17+ due to strong language and sexual content* Ness's parents are shocked when she turns down her place at Leeds University and takes on a full-time job in a call center. Determined to begin her adult life the way she wants, Ness moves to Leeds to live with her best friend Abby.One night she meets Evan, who is everything she hates about guys. He may be hot but he's also drunken, arrogant, and on top of that, he apparently has sex with girls and forgets about it. But Evan isn't what he seems and Ness soon discovers they have more in common than she thought.Evan is struggling to escape from his past too, and when Lucy appears she threatens his new relationship with Ness. Unsure if she can deal with the effect Lucy has on Evan, Ness makes a decision about her future which pulls them apart.When their new lives don't go as planned, Ness and Evan are both faced with difficult choices. All because of Lucy...

Fever


Melissa Pearl - 2014
     Ella Simmons does not want to move across the country. But she is, because her boyfriend has persuaded her to join him at UChicago to finish out her college education. Never able to tell him no, she hops on a plane and makes the trek from LA expecting to adjust to life like she's often forced to, but things are not that simple when she hears a luscious voice singing over her shower wall. His deep, sexy tenor makes her weak in the knees, spreading fire through her limbs and making her question everything about her life and relationship. Can one voice really have that much of an impact? Cole Reynolds is on his way out. In his final year at UChicago, the only thing he wants to do is finish school and get on with his life. But the sweet voice that interrupts his morning shower turns his world upside down. Compelled to find his shower songbird, he begins a search across campus. The only thing to distract him from this goal is his roommate's gorgeous girlfriend who's just arrived from LA - Ella Simmons. Relationships are put to the ultimate test as future dreams are questioned and friendships are thrown on the line for love. ALL THE SONGBIRD NOVELS CAN BE READ AS STAND ALONE BOOKS.

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.

Connected by the Sea


E.L. Todd - 2014
    Her best friend, Henry, has an invested interest in her, but Sydney never seems to notice. While Henry is the perfect man, she only dates the wrong guys. Her ex-boyfriend cheated on her, broke her heart, and now she’s too shattered to give anyone a chance. Until Coen… A sexy bad boy with a tattoo, he elicits dark desires Sydney hasn’t felt in so long. His intense eyes, the color of the sea, capture her sight, making it impossible to look away. She tries to avoid him, knowing he’s no good for her, but Coen, who always gets what he wants, doesn’t take no for an answer. Will Sydney regret this decision? Or will she find what’s been missing her entire life? The family she lost, the loves she misses, and the trust she never thought she could have for someone else?