Book picks similar to
Southpaw by Raen Smith


romance
novella
new-adult
netgalley

This Much is True


Katherine Owen - 2013
    A ballerina who lies. A baseball player who believes her. Well, the truth changes everything. Tally Landon just wants to escape her tragic story if just for one night. She doesn't count on meeting Lincoln Presley, Stanford's baseball wonder, but plans to add him to her long list of one-night stands. That's the plan. Lying to him about her age and her name is just a part of her don't-get-emotionally-attached style. She doesn't count on being found out, nor on ever seeing Linc again or falling in love. Lincoln Presley's life is all mapped out. There is only baseball. With the major leagues circling their favorite prospect with a lucrative offer, he cannot afford to mess up. And, he doesn't; until he meets up with the girl he saved from the burning wreckage on the 101 on Valentine's Day months before. By the time he learns her real name and of all the lies she's told, he's in far too deep to ever really let her go. When fame and lies tear them apart, one truth remains; and fate, most definitely, has a different set of plans. This much is true.Author's Note: A coming of age story? Could be. A powerful love story? Most definitely. An unforgettable read? Most likely. Intended for mature audiences, ages 17+? Absolutely. This best selling new adult contemporary romance novel will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride and is the first book (which should really be two books) in the Truth In Lies series, but it can be read as a standalone. It is 432 pages long in 12-point type so carve out some time.

Throttled


Chelle Bliss - 2014
    Joseph Gallo. All she wants is to be his, but his possessiveness days before the wedding has her questioning the reality of a happily ever after. He’s not easy. He’s territorial and doesn’t share well with others. City’s staking his claim, making Suzy his forever. Their future teeters precariously on the cliff of matrimonial bliss. Will their love survive his alpha nature or will it all unravel before she can say ‘I do’?

Hold Me


J. Kenner - 2017
    Every day is a miracle, and every night I lose myself in the oasis of his arms. But there are new challenges, too. Our families. Our careers. And new responsibilities that test us with unrelenting, unexpected trials. I know we will survive—we have to. Because I cannot live without Damien by my side. But sometimes the darkness seems overwhelming, and I am terrified that the day will come when Damien cannot bring the light. And I will have to find the strength inside myself to find my way back into his arms.

Lingering Echoes


Erica Kiefer - 2013
    In reality, there was no altering her cousin’s death or the role she played. Then she meets Damien Michaels, a dark-haired stranger on a dirt bike, who seems to watch Allie and know more about her than he should. Veiling his own secrets, including a mysterious scar and unexplained tattoo, Allie knows she shouldn’t trust him—especially as she digs up a past Damien desperately wants to forget. She also doesn’t believe in summer romances, yet she finds her attraction to him growing beyond his striking grey eyes. Unfortunately, Allie discovers too late that he is hiding a dark past which is far from over, endangering her life and those she loves.

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.

Loving the Enemy


Charmaine Pauls - 2015
    Having escaped a brutal attack on her home that left her dad's small army and her beloved nana dead, she finds a job and a cheap room in Camps Bay, South Africa. When the men from Sky Communications track her down, she's forced to flee again. This time, Lily ends up homeless, alone on a bench under a brewing winter storm in a violent city. It's a lucky coincidence that Jacob appears through the mist just before a gang finds her in the dark, deserted park. Or is it?After offering Lily shelter for the night, Jacob's flat is destroyed in an explosion. With Jacob's help, Lily tries to locate her father in search of his protection. In a whirlwind escapade from Africa to France, danger always a step behind, Lily learns about desire, love, survival and trust. Eventually, she'll also learn about betrayal ... and the truth about the savior to who she gave her body and heart.This novel is a prequel to the Seven Forbidden Arts series, but reads as a stand-alone. There are no cliffhangers.* This book contains consummated love scenes and explicit language. Reader discretion is advised.SEVEN FORBIDDEN ARTSLoving the Enemy (Prequel)Pyromancist (Book 1)Aeromancist, The Beginning (Book 2, novella) Aeromancist (Book 3)Hydromancist (Book 4)

Brave


Natalie Gayle - 2015
    Beauty, pain and tragedy.Xander “Pretty Boy” Todd was a demon in the ring. A professional MMA fighter with a career that had the world a buzz—but now it’s gone. Or is it?Eden Sommers had her dreams of an international modelling career within her grasp—and lost it. Gone within a few seconds, leaving nothing but pain.How do you go on, when the one thing that defines you is suddenly ripped away—only to leave scars and a hollow shell in its place? Has the beauty gone forever? Or has it just retreated—to now be hidden, and dormant; guarded by the inner demons?Can these two wounded souls find the inner strength to fight back the demons together and find the beauty in their lives once again?To do this, they must first accept—The hardest demons to defeat are the ones inside. They’ll have to be BRAVE.

Her Best Shot


Shannyn Schroeder - 2014
    But at least one of them didn’t count on such incredible heat… Layla Sharpe is definitely more math ninja than bikini babe, and her future has been calculated with razor precision. Convinced to let loose over spring break, Layla is finally ready to party—until her car breaks down halfway to her destination, leaving her stranded in Georgia with a mouthwateringly hot pool shark. She knows more than enough about angles to learn the game, but this week she wants him to appreciate her curves… Phin Marks has never met a girl like Layla. She’s more Star Wars geek than seductress, and when he offers her a place to stay while her car is in the shop, he’s counting on the attraction between them to set the nights ablaze, no strings attached. But every moment he spends with Layla makes it harder to let her go. Can he persuade her to gamble in the most dangerous way possible…on forever?35,000 Words

Precise


Rebecca Berto - 2012
    No one sees the darkness lurking just under the surface of their mother-daughter relationship, instead viewing Rochelle as misunderstood. That she has so much love for her daughter that she may seem harsh. Wrong. So wrong.Katie grew up taught that she was the cause of Rochelle’s miscarriages. She grew up with the belief she shouldn’t be happy knowing she’d caused her mom so much pain and suffering. Now Katie is pregnant and Rochelle is out to stop Katie from ruining her baby’s life—just like Katie ruined her own.Still, Katie can’t imagine killing the life growing inside her. Hell hath no fury like Rochelle with a vengeance to make Katie pay for ruining her life.In Rochelle’s quest for power, Katie’s baby is the pawn.

Between Then and Now


Zoe York - 2013
    He's juggling the family farm and a second job, his kids are a crazy handful and every time he gets close to his wife, she snaps at him. Their relationship started with a sizzling physical connection, and he needs to find a way to leverage that into reconnecting on a deeper level.Their marriage wasn't chosen for love...Carrie knows she's being too hard on her husband, but eight years ago she had a one-night stand that turned into a lifetime of diapers and dinners. She can't shake the feeling that she wants more, or the fear that her husband won't understand.But they still chose each other...time and again

Scornfully Hers


Pamela Ann - 2013
    Carter Mason was the playboy soccer stud in their campus. Coming from wealth and good genes, he was used to getting everything he wanted. At a young age, he witnessed how love can become your worst enemy. It was a man’s downfall, an irrevocable poison that will forever haunt you, until you’re out of fight and gasping for your last breath. Lust at first glance. That’s what Carter instantly thought when his eyes landed on Emma Anderson for the very first time. She was gorgeous woman who wore her sexiness and naïveté with confidence. Both wanted to enjoy each other without the complications of love and all the drama it came with. The one thing they both avoided unexpectedly sprouted, causing a rift between them.

Zero Hour


Autumn Jones Lake - 2019
    Then I saw Lilly. There’s no harm in picking up a girl for myself, right?One time. A few hours with her underneath me. No longer than a night. That’s all I ever need with a woman.  I’m the Vice President of the Lost Kings MC. There’s no shortage of women waiting to warm my bed.Lilly’s appetite matches my own and one night suits her fine.But it’s not enough. I can’t get her out of my head, even though she makes it clear she’s not available. Suddenly, I find myself seeking Lilly out on holidays and special occasions, using any excuse to be near her.That’s when I realize she’s the only one I want to spend all my nights with.Now if I can convince her what we have amounts to more than a few lust-filled hours.I don’t know where we went wrong but this is how it all begins… Get to know Zero and Lilly better before reading Zero Tolerance! Zero Hour includes three previously published short stories and one never-before published short story and bonus epilogue!

Fade into You


Kate Dawes - 2012
    Life in L.A. is a culture shock, but nothing compared to the jolt she gets when Max enters her life.Max Dalton is Hollywood's youngest and brightest movie producer/director/writer. He's wealthy, successful, hot, and there's never a shortage of women throwing themselves at him, but there’s only one woman he wants, and he intends to make it happen.As Max pursues Olivia, he finds that she presents a whole new challenge for him. When Olivia finally gives in the stage is set for a perilous, yet passionate relationship. Together they discover each other’s deepest desires, and darkest secrets.Erotic Romance novella | Approx. 22,000 words*AUTHOR'S NOTE: This ebook is no longer being published as an individual book. You can find all 3 novellas in this series combined in 1 book -->> Fade.

#1 Crush


Kaia Bennett - 2014
    Gabriel has always seen Nicole as his good friend’s very pretty, but extremely off limits baby sister. Then a hot summer day and an even hotter discovery pushes them over the lines of friendship, over the lines of unrequited desire, and into each other's arms.Will they indulge and move on? Or will this crush turn into something more, something deeper? Something that leaves loose ends begging to be tied…#1 Crush is book one in the Loose Ends series. Each book is a full novel and the series will conclude with book three.

Wildcard: Volume One


Missy Johnson - 2014
    I'm a god.I'm hot, I'm British and I take what I want. I'm also the number one ranked tennis player in the world. But it's my off court antics that gain the most attention. I cruise through life, running from one scandal to the next. Hell I can't even take a piss without the world knowing about it.Rules? Who gives a shit?Rules are there to be broken and I'm the king of breaking them.But even the king can be bought to his knees. I'm sidelined with an injury that changes everything. Maybe my life isn't so perfect after all...