The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend


Kody Keplinger - 2010
    She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "the Duff," she throws her Coke in his face. But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

It's All Relative


S.C. Stephens - 2010
    Jessie couldn’t keep her eyes off of the exotic man drinking by himself across the room. Kai couldn’t keep his gaze from the buxom brunette laughing with her friends at the bar. Fate pulled them together, giving them a night that neither one would soon forget. But then, you know what they say about fate. While their one night of bliss was perfect, neither Jessie nor Kai could have imagined what would be in store for them the next time they met, when fate again crossed their paths. As they both soon discovered, sometimes life places obstacles in the way that are insurmountable...even for soul mates.

Star-Crossed


Luna Lacour - 2014
    It is intended for mature readers.It started with a game - seduce the new teacher.Eighteen-year-old Kaitlyn Laurent is living the American Dream. Born into a wealthy, socialite family with more opulent surroundings and material things than any girl could even fathom, Kaitlyn is the fresh, young face amidst a sea of morally-amiss Manhattan Debutantes. She is educated, poised, and on the outside - entirely virtuous. Her life, in short, is perfect.Or so it would seem. Inside the walls of her Upper East Side mansion, Kaitlyn is struggling. After her parents' divorce and her father's remarriage to a beautiful but otherwise utterly vapid woman, Kaitlyn quickly finds herself living in a realm of self-created fantasy, completely detached and entirely clashing with her new family – particularly, her classmate-turned-stepbrother, Marius. Arrogant and with a penchant for playing games, he is intrigued and infatuated by Kaitlyn's faux-chaste outer facade that she uses to cover an otherwise calloused heart.When the two of them enter into into their final semester at Trinity Prep, and the buzz around campus is that a gorgeous new teacher has set foot in the classroom, Marius makes Kaitlyn a bet: seduce the man who is now her Literature teacher.If she wins, she gets his trust fund. Money that she can use to finally escape a life that she has come to loathe.If Marius wins...he gets her virginity.When an initial spark turns into full-blown obsession, and her affections are inevitably returned – Kaitlyn learns that there are no actions without consequence, and some affairs are simply star-crossed.

No Reverse


Marion Croslydon - 2013
    No need to say: their shotgun wedding was low-key. But when there was no baby anymore, they went their separate ways.Five years later, Josh has breezed through Georgetown and is about to finish his post-grad degree at Oxford University. He is set to join a lobbying group on Capitol Hill, owned by his new fiancée’s father. For Josh, the sky is now the limit… only he must first take care of a tiny legal matter: technically, he’s still married to the girl who broke his heart. Meanwhile, Cassie has been waiting tables in Steep Hill to pay for her sick grandmother’s care. On the day of the old lady’s funeral, Cassie is served with two sets of papers. Josh is asking for a divorce. Her heart squeezes, but, well, he moved on a long time ago. But the second envelope shakes Cassie to the core. So, for the first time, she leaves Kansas and heads to good ol’ England.There, Cassie finds that Josh has not just “moved on,” he’s freakin’ engaged to some blue-blooded heiress. The feelings Cassie had buried deep rush back to her. But no matter if he keeps thrusting the divorce papers under her nose, she needs him to save the only person she loves more than Josh, more than life itself…

Untouchable


Ivy SmoakIvy Smoak - 2020
    Everyone knows Matthew Caldwell.Charming.Gorgeous.Wealthy.And way out of my league.So when he invites me into the lifestyle of the rich and famous?I agree in a heartbeat.But behind all the glitz and glam?Secrets.Lies.Betrayal.All hidden behind a perfect smile and a tailored jacket.I should have known better than to pretend to belong in his world...

This Love of Mine


Amanda Bennett - 2013
    An escape from my momma, a woman who cared more about herself than her own daughter. A woman who couldn't stand the sight of me since my father left. A boyfriend who was nothing but trouble. Trouble that I couldn't say no to.Unfortunately, leaving them both would prove to be either the best decision I could ever make, or the biggest mistake of my life.My plan was to escape to the one place I always felt safe. A place where life is simple and quiet, and a place where I could finish my senior year of high school unscathed. Abernathy, Texas was my second home, and my grandparents were the parents I aways wanted. There was no one around this one horse town to complicate my life any further, or at least that's what I thought. That was, until I met Madison Raine.He held the power to turn my peaceful escape upside down and inside out with just one look. He was beautiful, in every sense of the word and with that beauty, came trouble. There were a million reasons why I should stay away from him, but none of them seemed to matter when I caught sight of those emerald green eyes. It was becoming clear that staying away from Madison would be harder than I had anticipated.A past like mine never fully disappears, until you find yourself faced with the irreparable truth that sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands, consequences be damned.Kayla James (KJ) was everything I never knew I wanted. This was the last summer I would be on the farm before I headed off to college, and meeting her was the last thing I expected. I didn't know what had brought her here, and I honestly didn't care. I had my own things to deal with and a relationship wasn't one of them. Little did I know that this girl, would wind up being exactly what I needed in every way possible.Life hasn't always been easy, and telling my grandparents that I was going to college in another state was going to be the death of me, but it was something I needed to do. I needed a life outside of Texas, one where no one knew who I was or what I had lost. Between baseball and my band, I thought I had it made. All it took was one look into those baby blues and I was a goner. I ended up needing her like I needed air to breathe, and everything inside of me wanted to be with her regardless of the outcome. How do you choose between love and life, and convince the one person who trusts no one, to take a chance on you?(This is book #1 of three in The Raine Series. It contains mature language and situations)

Heartless


Ivy Fox - 2019
     They saw me for the girl I am and the person I yearn to become one day—a woman who thrives in her freedom and dances away in her rightfully earned independence.They saw all the strong, unafraid parts of me, and coaxed each one of them out, daring me to dream bigger, climb higher.They never once saw the girl I had been groomed to see in the mirror.The abandoned daughter of a dead man.The unwanted child of a woman who despised her.The broken body formed wrong and built on a shaky foundation, threatening to fall apart and shatter.They made all the ugliness disappear and left only wonder and promise. The love we shared for each other was probably the only miracle I would be granted in this life, and I knew they felt the same. Or so I thought. Everything I held dear has been robbed from me, and I’ve been a victim of theft too many times to mention.I will not have them steal my pride.They can keep my heart, for all I care. The day they became my stepbrothers, it stopped working anyway. Heartless is the first book in The Privileged of Pembroke High trilogy which ends in a cliffhanger. This is a bully/enemy-to-lovers, #whychoose, new adult contemporary romance, full-length novel. *Recommended 18+ due to mature language, adult situations, and sensitive content.

Starting Over


Evan Grace - 2014
    And if it weren’t for her brother’s imminent deployment, she wouldn’t even have considered coming back home. But she did. And now she needs to do everything she can to avoid the reason she left in the first place. Luke Carter. The man who turned his back on her when she needed him most. There’s just one problem…Luke seems to have other plans. He’s determined to set things right, making it impossible for Bellamy to ignore the connection they still share after all these years. But Bellamy has a secret. And it’s the kind of secret that has the potential to destroy every last bit of hope she has for a second chance at happiness. The question is, will the truth bring them closer together…or will it tear them apart for good?

Beautiful Oblivion


Jamie McGuire - 2014
    She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt. Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red. As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

Surviving Amber Springs


Siobhan Davis - 2018
     First place honors go to my twin, Ethan; however, hate isn’t a strong enough word to convey how people feel about him. Not that I blame anyone—some days, I hate him too. Mostly, I’m just lost and afraid, drowning in a sea of betrayal and guilt, wondering how this happened right under my nose. There’s no choice but to leave. To move clear across the country in a last-ditch attempt to start over. Transferring to a new school midway through senior year is hellish for most people. For me, it’s a welcome relief—until someone discovers our secret and now everyone knows. The pointing, whispering, and scathing looks follow me around again, and I’m back to square one. Except, this time, I’m not alone. Axel, Skeet, and Heath took me under their wing from the minute I arrived here. I’ve no idea why three of the hottest guys in town took any interest in me or why they continue to have my back, but I’m so grateful to have them in my corner. Because, right now, they’re the only reason I’m not following my brother into an early grave. This is an upper YA/NA standalone. Due to sensitive content and possible triggers, this book is recommended to readers aged 18 and older.

When Summer Ends


Isabelle Rae - 2012
    It’s there that she meets handsome and alluring bartender, Will Morris. The pair hit it off immediately, growing closer with every passing day. But as with every summer, it has to end sometime. Chloe’s senior year approaches and there’s a shock in store when she returns to do her final year at school. Will is there too, but he’s not one of her fellow students…A tale of forbidden love, broken hearts, friendship, and rivalry.

Cruel


Raven Kennedy - 2019
     Savannah, Georgia is full of debutantes and greed. The Heirs own this town. They own me, too. I don’t know what I did to ruin what we had. But their kindness turned cruel almost a year ago. I was prepared to leave it all behind and start over at a new school. But Rogue Kelly, the king of the Heirs, ruined that. He doesn’t want me anymore but doesn’t want anyone else to have me either. I know too much to be set free, but not enough to stay. The Heirs aren’t through with me yet. And I crave their cruelty too much to give up now.

Hawthorne & Heathcliff


R.K. Ryals - 2015
    Two shoes that did. Intense and introspective, seventeen-year-old Hawthorne Macy knows all about being abandoned. She's felt the stark pain of being left behind by the people who are supposed to love her the most; her parents. Raised by her caring uncle on an old plantation, Hawthorne lives her life on the fringes of her small Southern town. Until she meets his shoe. Senior year, last period English class, and a pair of silent tennis shoes resting next to hers in the back of the room throws Hawthorne into a world she'd learned to stay outside of. His name is Max Vincent, but in her mind, he’s Heathcliff. The handsome eighteen-year-old boy behind the shoes will pull Hawthorne into a passionate and unforgettable adventure of self-discovery during a time when love seems impossible. Shoes can tell a lot about a person. The journey they take you on can tell a lot about how they'll hold up.

Be the Girl


K.A. Tucker - 2019
    New postal code, new last name, new rules. But she doesn’t mind, because it means she can leave her painful regrets behind. In the bustling town of Eastmonte, she can become someone else. Someone better.With the Hartford family living next door, it seems she will succeed. Sure, Cassie Hartford may be the epitome of social awkwardness thanks to her autism, but she also offers an innocent and sincere friendship that Aria learns to appreciate. And Cassie’s older brother, Emmett—a popular Junior A hockey player with a bright future—well … Aria wishes that friendship could lead to something more. If he didn’t already have a girlfriend, maybe it would.But Aria soon finds herself in a dicey moral predicament that could derail her attempt at a fresh start. It is her loyalty to Cassie and her growing crush on Emmett that leads her to make a risky move, one that earns her a vindictive enemy who is determined to splinter her happy new world.

Shattered Rose


T.L. Gray - 2013
    GrayAvery Nichols knows how to wear the mask. Perfect student, perfect daughter and perfect friend. Nobody would ever guess that inside, Avery is a prisoner to her own self loathing. Then she meets him…and everything changes. Handsome, charming and self assured, Jake Matthew sweeps Avery off her feet in an effortless fashion. Avery knows that Jake is everything she needs and all she has ever wanted. She would destroy herself to be loved by him…until he walks away.Broken and lost, Avery meets Parker. His genuine, caring nature reaches past the mask and the shattered pieces her heart begin to slowly heal. But just when Avery starts to feel whole again, she realizes the impossible.Jake never really left.