Book picks similar to
KISSED by Carla Krae


romance
new-adult
freebie
college

After Tuesday


Renee Ericson - 2013
    For the last two years, high school senior Ruby has been her own rock and solace. She has learned to depend only on herself and hides her family's issues by keeping herself somewhat unnoticeable. Despite her isolation, Ruby has intrigued the affections of someone unexpected. Finding herself loving life once again as his persistence sparks a romance awakening a well-protected heart. While Ruby’s relationship with her father is constantly teetering, her new-found affection continues to blossom into something more than she ever thought possible. Soon, Ruby comes to realize that opening up your heart means being susceptible to love and disappointment.YA-M: This book contains mature content including profanity, drug/alcohol use, and sexual situations/language.

Lost and Found


Lori L. Otto - 2010
    I was so taken by Nate and Emi’s love for each other. It’s the kind of love that few have and many desire but never get to experience.” - Megan, Reading Books Like a Boss Independent and sensitive, idealistic and hopeful, Emi Hennigan lives her life with optimism and an open mind. Between sharing a tiny Manhattan apartment with her fun-loving roommate and spending most of her free time with her heart-breaker friend, Emi’s seen enough failed relationships to know what to avoid in her quest to find her true love. Not only that, but a single moment from her past lingers in her mind, setting high expectations for every man she dates. Emi’s best friend, artist and hopeless romantic Nate Wilson, has been her closest companion all of their adult lives. After swearing off love with Emi in a silly high school pact, Nate has been seeing other women in hopes of finding one that evokes stronger feelings than the ones he’s been harboring for Emi since he was a teen. Over the span of a year, boundaries are crossed, feelings are confessed, and their unique friendship begins to blossom into something more. Through Nate’s eyes, an atypical romance unfolds, disrupting the comfortable safe haven their friendship has provided. With a promising future ahead of them both, fate intervenes to bring two soul mates together. Photography and cover design by Christi Allen Curtis, assisted by Katrina Boone

Encore


Emily Robertson - 2021
    And he did…once. Shelby was his everything, his world. Sure they were young, but it didn’t matter. He knew in his gut, he knew it with everything they were meant to be. People told him all the time he was out of his mind, no one married their first girlfriend, but they were wrong– or so he thought.As soon as Austin got the chance of a lifetime, Shelby was gone. Sure he was living it up in the hottest band out there, but all the fame and money meant nothing without her. It felt more like a tragedy.When a tornado rips their hometown apart, Austin runs home to help out. It doesn’t matter that he’s been avoiding the place like the plague. His family needs him. The moment he sees Shelby, all the reasons he’s stayed away suddenly don’t matter. One look in her haunted eyes, and he knows he’s made a big mistake. He thought that by staying gone, he was making her happy, but he had been wrong. He didn’t care how many times she told him they didn’t work, he knew they were perfect for each other. She might be stubborn, but he was determined to win her back. That’s why he wasn’t leaving until they got their encore.

Learn to Fly


Heidi Hutchinson - 2013
    Welcome to life after the cliché."Book #1 of the Double Blind Study series.A fallen from grace athlete runs away with rock stars.The plan was simple: get a job, get out of town, don't get attached.Lenny Evans felt like her life was suffocating her. She would do just about anything to change that, which is how she ended up taking a job that landed her on tour with the biggest rock band in the world.But Lenny has never met anyone like the members of Double Blind Study and they easily adopt her into their makeshift family. Now, Lenny finds herself caring far too deeply for these tattooed misfits, daily bringing them closer and closer to revealing Lenny's true past and everything she's running from.Sometimes crashing headlong into the unknown isn't the worst thing.PG16: contains foul-mouthed rock stars, light heat, irritating exes, loud music, an overworked tour manager and random shenanigans.

A Spy Like Me


Laura Pauling - 2012
    That’s only the beginning. From the top of the Eiffel Tower to the depths of the catacombs, Savvy must sneak, deceive, and spy to save her family and friends and figure out whether Malcolm is one of the bad guys before she completely falls for him.

Shameless


Lexy Timms - 2018
     He has no shame. Dylan Hill is a born and bred country boy from Kansas. He’s never had much use for big cities or fast living. He definitely feels like a fish out of water when he hits New York City, looking for his childhood sweetheart. But it seems Maisy Dee Fowler has made quite a few changes since she left home, starting with her name. Somehow this sweet country girl has become Morvared—model for the sexiest underwear line in the country. Forget college. She’s on her way up and has no time to screw anyone who isn’t going to further her career. The snow is driving down as Dylan leaves the apartment of his lady love, wanting to erase the images of his naked sweetheart in the arms of another man. He finds himself in Times Square. And it’s just his luck his cheating girlfriend is on every billboard. In all her glory. Hard as nails agency executive Bailey O’Brien can’t take her eyes off what has got to be the sweetest male perfection she’s ever laid eyes on: Dylan, standing in the falling snow with his head tilted back, wearing a denim jacket and jeans, a cowboy hat clutched in one hand. Acting on impulse she slams out of her cab into the blizzard, snaps a picture, and tells him he should be a model. More specifically, HER male model. Dylan thinks the fiery redhead is crazy. But there’s something appealing in what she’s offering. What if there’s a way to beat one spoiled little supermodel at her own game? Revenge is only a contract away—and how hard could it be to pose for a few pictures? Impulsively he signs, having no idea that he’s just given himself, body, and soul, to a woman he barely knows. MODEL MAYHEM SERIES Shameless Modesty Imperfection

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?

Bad Boyfriend


Lexi Hart - 2020
    After five years of wasting my Journalism Degree writing an advice column, my editor offers me my first real assignment.Too bad I'll have to work alongside a Private Investigator from out of town.Enter Grayson Cole.The broody and secretive bad boy who took my V-Card eight summers ago then broke my heart.After years of hating Grayson for leaving without saying goodbye, now I'm the only person who can pose as his girlfriend.Between the long hours working together and the public displays of affection, it's getting harder to tell what's real.I need to walk away before history repeats itself.But when Grayson shows up at my door in the middle of the night and tells me why he really came back...What started out as fake, becomes dangerously real…

Saved by Grace


T.J. Rudolph - 2017
     She swears to never love again, until Chase Ryder walks into her life-a notorious bad boy from her home town. Everyone knows that Chase has spent time in juvi, but no-one knows why. Grace is determined to stay away from him, but Aaron's ghost keeps appearing and keeps telling her to move on. When Grace finds out that Chase, like her, had a damaged childhood, she finally understands why he pushes people away. She decides to try to break down those walls he has built around himself and show him that he is worthy of love. Grace is hiding a secret of her own about a life she lived before she met Chase. She tries to hide her past from him, but that secret is exposed. They learn to trust each other and fall in love--but then Grace finds out the truth about what really happened the night Chase’s father died. If Grace can't learn to accept all of Chase, including his past, she risks losing her second love, too!

Sometimes Never


Cheryl McIntyre - 2012
    She’s content with her current no-strings-attached extracurricular activity with the lead singer of her band. She’s never believed in love and commitment.Mason starts his eighth school in five years anticipating nothing more than the usual—boring classes, fighting more than making friends, and girls happily willing to succumb to his easy smile. He’s never put much stock into love at first sight—until he sees her.Regardless of their painful pasts, Hope and Mason discover that sometimes never can become forever. *This is a mature young adult. Recommended for 17+ due to sensitive subject material, harsh language, and sexual situations.

From Gods


Mary Ting - 2013
    Everything changes when they meet the Grand brothers. Skylar is sure she should stay away from Mason Grand, but their attraction is undeniable. Then Skylar’s life erupts into turmoil. She steps into a world where descendants of ancient gods have super powers, evil beings chase her, and questions arise about her own identity. She is running out of time and running for her life, while trying to unravel the mystery of what they want from her. Forced into a battle set into motion long before she was born, will Skylar find the answers she seeks, or will she die trying?

Tangled up in Blue: A Rainy Day Women Romance


Linda Steinberg - 2021
    Deadbeat dads, that is. Until she's arrested by a handsome detective who won't listen to reason. But when she discovers a dead body while working a case, she needs Detective Tall, Dark and Handsome's Help.Protect and serveWhen Dallas P.D. detective Trey Donovan arrests a feisty, gun-toting woman with a stack of hundred dollar bills stashed in her camisole, he senses this is no ordinary drug bust. He manages to maintain his professional composure but he can't get her out of his mind. On his next case, when he finds Selena standing over a dead body, they agree to work together to catch a killer.Trey is by the book; Selena prefers to color outside the lines. But the chemistry between them sparks creative detective work. And ignites simmering passions. Despite their intentions to keep the relationship professional, a rainy night stakeout leaves them 'tangled up in blue.' And when Selena's out-of-the-box ideas put her in danger, Trey realizes this is a woman he will never put out of his mind. And that's a 'Dunn deal.'Tangled up in Blue is the first book in the Rainy Day Women series, featuring women empowering women--and the men who love them. In a converted warehouse near downtown Dallas a group of strong, professional women come together to volunteer their services to the women of an under-served community. They name their facility the Rainy Day Women's Center. Each book is a stand-alone romance about competent, independent women and the equally competent, independent men they can't ignore--or live without.

Beginnings: A Romance Series Starter Collection


Victoria Pinder - 2019
     Get swept away in the glitz and glamour and let me know if you prefer billionaires or princes…. Secret Crush Billionaire FBI agent John goes home to his father’s funeral and re-meets Alice, his sister’s best friend. But when he falls for the down to earth farmer’s daughter, he brings trouble and drama into her world- but her sweet kisses are worth protecting. Forbidden Crown Prince Antonio must find a wife or forfeit his throne within two weeks. Grad student Kristin is willing to fill the role, but playing princess-to-be leads to more excitement than she expects — especially when their red-hot chemistry makes faking a romance so easy… Tempting Gabe Falling in love with his enemy wasn't part of the plan... Irresistibly Lost Aaden was in love but he listened to his mother and left his bride to be. However he comes back as he was wrong. Can he convince the one he lost to give him a second chance? You’ll love these contemporary romances to start these series, because everyone loves to answer the question… billionaire or prince or maybe a little of both?

A French Girl in New York


Anna Adams - 2012
    One day in Paris, she is discovered by an American music producer who takes her to New York to live with him and his close-knit family while producing her first album, with help from teen pop star, Matt. Maude will dive into a new fascinating world discovering New York City, music, family, love and the truth about her past.

Better Than Me


Emme Burton - 2013
    Last semester ended badly, leaving her unsure about whom “Biz” really is anymore. She is determined to get through her final year with no drama and as few panic attacks as possible.The plan seems solid. Then, early in the semester, Biz is introduced to two guys at the same time. Jake is a sweet, open jazz major and unlike the guy that leveled her last year. And then there is Davis, the theatre designer. He is beautiful, dark, quiet and has eyes that render the usually over talkative Biz speechless. She makes a decision to keep any relationship she has under her control. But can she, really?