Book picks similar to
Southpaw by Raen Smith


romance
novella
new-adult
netgalley

Rikki


Abigail Strom - 2015
    But when they end up at the same college—and the same dorm—they figure it’s time to declare a truce. They even become friends… sort of. But when Sam asks Rikki to model for his sculpting project, they start spending more time together—and her feelings for him get more complicated. She tries to focus on the guy she’s been crushing on instead. But Sam’s the one she can’t stop thinking about, even though their arguments are starting to heat up as much as the chemistry between them.With antagonism and attraction this intense, there’s bound to be an explosion. But when the dust settles, will Sam and Rikki be enemies, friends… or something more?

Jaded


Ali Parker - 2015
    COMPLETE STORY - HEA.** 18+ Some language and sexual situations.As a photographer for the New York Post, Kari Martin was used to seeing heartache and scandal up close. But one night at the club… her whole world changed.Heartbroken and willing to call off her wedding, she decides a change is in order and moves from NYC to a small town in Maine, where the average age of the residents there is sixty (or thereabouts). She works to fit in perfectly, and tries like hell not to let anyone find out just how very jaded she’s recently become over the lie called love.Jake Isaac left Texas quite a few years ago; his heart torn from his chest, and his mind set on being a bachelor forever. Maine would welcome him, give him land to explore and a community to belong to. Getting a job as the coach of the local junior high and serving on the fire department kept him busy — and labeled him a hometown hero — but the truth of his damaged heart was forever hidden.No one would ever know just how jaded he was about love. That is… until he meets Kari.

Beat


Amity Cross - 2014
    Then one day they lose the battle and she’s all alone.Now twenty-two, Ren reluctantly goes to find her estranged father. He owns the down and out boxing studio, Beat, and Ren finds herself drawn to the ring. She thrives on learning a new way of fighting a life that kept kicking her down…instead of struggling against the current, she kicks it right between the legs.Then one day, Ash Fuller, her Dad's star fighter comes back to town. Mysterious, handsome… Dangerous… Everything Ren doesn't need.But he's got other ideas……and so does she.

Tell Me a Story: Episode #1


Tamara Lush - 2016
    Her most popular evening event is Story Brothel, where customers can pay writers to read aloud to them in a story-time for two, complete with cocktails. Despite the name, the event is usually tame. But things take a steamy turn when a handsome, urbane businessman hires Emma for a session in a private cabana. Daringly, she shares with him a reading of her erotica. Soon both of them are feeling the effects ... and Emma's wondering what kind of lover is underneath his expensive suit.Caleb may be a billionaire real estate mogul, but he's never been captivated by a woman as he is by the lovely, quirky Emma. Her rockabilly vintage dresses make him long to strip them off and do very wicked things to her. And her refusal to share her personal life only makes him more curious.Soon the couple are spending every available moment together. But Emma's building is in danger of being razed out from under her bookstore ... and worse, Caleb may be behind her problems. Can she trust him with her life as she does with her body? Or will the prickly walls built during her harsh past keep them apart?

I Remember You


Scarlett Metal - 2013
    No one can make her happy though; she compares them all to Lance.Fate brings them together when Lance is in town for some family business. They end up spending a passionate night together but can they be more? Can they finally find their happily ever after?Contains adult situations and language. Appropriate for ages 18+.

Deep Surrendering: Episode 1


Chelsea M. Cameron - 2014
    He lives by none but his own. When these two meet, the results could be disastrous.When Marisol Everly’s friend Rory sets her up with Fin Herald, Marisol doesn't expect that it will amount to anything, .but that was before she saw Fin's searing blue eyes and mischievous smile. Not to mention, he seems absolutely fascinated by her mundane life. He's everything that a girl could want, but there's something else that ripples under the surface of his flirty behavior. Something darker. Something that fascinates Marisol, but scares her at the same time. Is she willing to risk falling into an abyss she might not get out of?

Rebound


Sabrina York - 2013
    She’s nothing like the women he dates. So when he suggests they play for a kiss over a game of Hearts, Kristi can’t resist. Even if she loses, she wins. Because she’s finally going to taste him. Of course, one kiss can quickly become something altogether steamier, especially when both parties are on the rebound… Fall in Love on Tryst Island… When a group of friends share a vacation house, wild hijinks, unexpected hook-ups and steamy sex ensue.

Raising the Dead


Mara Purnhagen - 2011
    But when coffins start floating down her street during a flood, life turns extra strange. And wonderful, when her friend and crush Noah signs on to help Charlotte and her folks in the aftermath. Cemetery cleanup might not sound exciting, but as shocking discoveries and a lurking stranger come to light, Charlotte learns that sometimes, raising the dead can bring unexpected rewards.

The Harder I Fall


Jessica Gibson - 2014
    For most of her life, she’s had to take care of herself, her younger brother Chad, and her drunk mother. She’s lived under the shadow of what her father did when she was ten years old. Forever branded by his actions.College was her escape, she could get away and finally live. Her dream was to make it in the New York Ballet Company one day. That for her meant a long road full of hard work and dedication. She didn't have time for distractions, and Levi Klein was definitely a distraction.Will Levi be able to crack through her tough exterior and really see the wounded soul underneath? Becca needs to be loved, but the question is, will she let Levi love her?

Some Girls Do


Amy Andrews - 2015
    Her three older brothers are adamant she’s not. They made a death bed promise to their mother that Lacey would stay the distance at design school and Ethan, the oldest, takes this responsibility very seriously. But Lacey is deeply homesick and determined not to be dissuaded again. She’s also impulsive enough to try anything - even faking a pregnancy. Ex-cop turned mechanic, Cooper Grainger - one of Ethan’s oldest friends - agrees to watch out for Lacey in the city even though he has a history with her he’d rather forget. How hard could it be, right? But a couple of years later, Coop is over pulling Lacey out of scrapes and cleaning up her messes as she tries to outrun her grief and sense of dislocation. He takes her back to Jumbuck Springs so she can persuade her brothers to let her come home. But things don’t go according to plan. Before Coop knows it Lacey’s pregnant and he’s putting his hand up as the fake baby daddy, filling in for the town mechanic and moving in with her at the local pub. Lacey is thrilled to have won a reprieve but nothing about the situation sits well with Coop. Least of all having sweet little Lacey Weston as his new roomie…

Untamed


Victoria Green - 2014
    That is, until she spends one hot night in the arms of sexy, unbridled Dare Wilde.She's a girl trapped in a rigid world she desperately wants to escape, and he's an untamed artist with an attitude, hell-bent on freeing her—body, mind, and soul. But Reagan's life is not her own, and Dare is not welcome in it. She can't include him in her carefully-controlled, extremely public lifestyle...and yet she cannot give him up.Will a shared passion for art—and, increasingly, each other—be enough to keep them together? Or will it be the thing that ultimately tears them apart?

Away


B.A. Wolfe - 2013
    One night of pure weakness and lust has her running away from it all and seeking refuge in Alamosa with her best friend. But it seems life has other plans for her when she finds herself lost in the small town of Keaton. Jason Bradley is a charming country guy. He lives a simple life that’s nothing like what Cassandra is used to. A single moment in life changed everything he thought he once knew, leaving him with a broken heart and an unplanned future. What happens in Keaton is nothing Cassandra or her heart could have ever prepared for. The instant connection she shares with Jason is no secret, but what they're keeping hidden from one another is. Will these two be able to find a way to trust each other or will their secrets tear them apart?

Sweet Southern Sorrow


Tessa Teevan - 2014
    Two very lonely people found solace in one another and in the end, fell in love. Unfortunately their plans for the fall took them in entirely different directions. Despite their best efforts, family issues and life’s circumstances got in the way, breaking both of their hearts in the process. Almost six years later they find themselves face-to-face, and old feelings resurface. When the past collides with the present, will they be able resist the temptation, or will they finally realize that they’re where they’re meant to be?A 65k word novel of broken pasts, first loves, and ultimate sacrifice. New edition includes 15k words in bonus scenes.

It Started With A Kiss


Lindy Dale - 2010
    Nate and Georgie had been the only peas in the pod growing up and in the twelve years since they’ve seen each other, neither of them seems to have forgotten. Over a cup of coffee and a series of shared recollections, Georgie and Nate begin to rekindle the embers of the love they lost. But can they save the relationship or will their one night of passion bring the closure they never had? This is one romantic short story you won't be able to put down! "'It Started With a Kiss' is the latest ROMANTIC COMEDY from Lindy Dale, and everything we’ve come to expect from Aussie’s CHICK LIT QUEEN. You’ll want to clear your calendar, grab a cuppa, and curl up with this little gem, which comes complete with romance, laughter…and a smear of dog pooh!" - Lee Murray. OR WERE YOU LOOKING FOR OTHER TITLES BY Bestselling Romantic Comedy Author, Lindy Dale? Try these: Thin Girls Don't Eat Cake: Fall in love with Olivia and Cole as they fall head over heels for each other in this humorous romance. Literally. Storm in a B Cup: The #1 bestselling romantic tale of Sophie and Jared as she fights Breast Cancer. Expect laughs, love and hope. The Taming of the Bastard: (Bastard Tales Book 1) - Lovable rogue, Sam likes nanny Millie .Millie, of course, likes Sam. But Millie thinks Sam needs a makeover in the manners department.

Hard to Forget


Shanora Williams - 2013
    She could only ignore it for so long. There was going to come a time when the truth was brought to light. During this drama-filled prequel, all of Bryson's endeavors and lies will be revealed. All of the heartache he caused Natalie begins with this story.*This is a novelette, meaning that it is less than 12,000 words.*