Book picks similar to
These Dark Hearts by L.A. Cotton
romance
novella
high-school
contemporary
Do You Want Me?
W. Winters - 2020
Some love stories are a slow burn. Others are quick to ignite, scorching and branding your very soul before you’ve taken that first breath. You’re never given a chance to run from it. That’s how I’d describe what happened to us.Everything around me blurred and all that existed were his lips, his touch… The chase and the heat between us became addictive.Our nights together were a distraction, one we craved to the point of letting the world crumble around us.We should have paid more attention; we should have known that it would come to this.We both knew it couldn’t last, but that didn’t change what we desired most. All we wanted was each other…This is part one of an epic tale of both betrayal and all-consuming love.
Killer
Clarissa Wild - 2015
My husband is the prime example.I’m a trophy wife. Someone’s prized possession, just there to be pretty. My dreams were pushed aside for his. Until one fateful night, one chance encounter, all his dirty secrets were exposed.And then my supposed husband is killed.I should be sad, but all I feel is anger. My husband is a lying, cheating bastard. And if that isn’t bad enough, I’m now the prime suspect for his murder.Only his brother believes I'm innocent, and in his support, I find relief. However, I will find the real killer and bring him to justice ... before he tries to end my life too.WARNING: This book contains strong language, explicit situations, and disturbing content.
Skin
B.B. Easton - 2017
. . perhaps on the entire planet. He hated everyone, except for BB Easton—the perky, quirky punk chick he couldn’t avoid.BB, on the other hand, liked everybody . . . except for Knight. She was scared to death of him, actually. All she wanted was to marry Little Mermaid’s Prince Eric-lookalike and king of the local punk scene Lance Hightower.But Knight was patient. Persistent. Unexpected. And once he got under BB’s skin, her life would never be the same.A forbidden love story overflowing with '90s nostalgia, dark humor, and heart-wrenching angst, and based on a true story.
A Love Song for Liars
Piper Lawson - 2020
I will never forgive his betrayal.But some nights... He makes me want to.A Love Song for Liars is Book 1 in the angsty new adult, academy-inspired Rivals trilogy. From USA Today bestselling romance author Piper Lawson!
Wanted
Amanda Lance - 2013
Desperate to rid the crime of its only witness, one of the thieves kidnaps Addie. Yet surprisingly, when a renegade thief attempts to silence her for good, Addie is saved by the very man who abducted her. Now, forced on board a cargo ship in the middle of the ocean, Addie finds herself surrounded by international smugglers who want nothing more than to throw her overboard. All except the artistic and intriguing Charlie Hays, whose strange protectiveness convinces Addie to trust him, even when common sense tells her otherwise. Yet, despite her doubt, and his unrelenting temper, their relationship develops into something much more. But, Charlie’s scorned colleague has stowed away, and as he seeks revenge against his coworker, Addie and Charlie are forced to put their new love—and lives—at risk.
Once She Dreamed
Abbi Glines - 2016
They made their life there. Got married, had kids, lived in the same houses that were always there along the streets that never changed. The whole white picket fence and tree swing might look good on greeting cards but in real life it was boring, at least to Sammy Jo.When Sammy Jo was a little girl she began dreaming of something bigger. Brighter. Something that wasn’t her town. She wanted to see the world and experience it all. Just how she was going to do that she had no idea. Because if her momma had her way, she’d marry one of the boys in town and be spitting out babies and going to church on Sunday with them all lined up in a row.The day Hale Christopher Jude III walked into the bakery she worked at, she knew he was it. That part of life she was missing. He smelled of foreign places and exciting things. He represented all the bright lights she dreamed of and simply put, she hoped he was her way out of this place.What Sammy Jo didn’t realize was things that appear perfect… aren’t. And chasing her dreams could lead to something very different.
Darkness Lurks
J.L. Drake - 2014
It’s not easy, but Emily finally has the life she wants. She’s an A student at Orange University and has a comfortable home and a great circle of friends. She’s also in love with handsome Orange PD officer Seth Connors. He doesn’t seem to return her feelings, though, so she tells herself his friendship is enough. Jimmy Lasko is a psychopath, and Emily is his greatest obsession… Lasko knows what he wants—what he deserves—and has the deadly skills and unending patience to get it. What he wants is Emily, and he is watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. That time is coming soon; he’ll make sure of it. A sense of unease settles on Emily, but is the danger real or imagined? When Emily begins hearing noises and suspects someone has been in her house, Seth urges her to get a roommate. But after a search, she realizes a certain attractive cop would be the perfect choice, and Seth moves in. Seth loves Emily, but fears his feelings might make it difficult to protect her. In all areas of his life, Seth sees himself as a protector. He’s determined to keep Emily safe, but he pushes the captivating blonde away in an attempt to stay objective. However, after her stalker makes a failed attempt to capture her, Seth can no longer deny his feelings. With help from Seth’s police colleagues, he and Emily set out to identify the person hunting her before it’s too late. But is it worth the risk to bait the trap with what he wants most?
The Angels
Ruby Vincent - 2020
Nothing could unite the two factions until I set foot on campus.For the first time in our history, they all agree on one thing:I must pay for my father’s sins.But why should I care?The joke is on them because I have nothing left inside. No part of me that isn’t already broken. I invite them to do their worst.Until The Angels enter the game.The most dangerous gang in town has a score to settle with my family, and Cassius, Clay, Hiro, and Royal are here to collect.Raven River soon becomes a battleground of lies, deceit, and violence, and I stand at the heart of it.The gorgeous otherworldly Angels will remind me that there is one thing left that I care about… and they’ll destroy it in heavenly fire.
Hard Limit
Sybil Bartel - 2019
Mosquitoes swarmed, and the sun dropped. I wasn't gonna die out here. No f*cking way. I was Tarquin Scott, and that was a hard limit. One arm crawl after another, I needed to man up.I wasn't dead yet.But then I heard her voice, angel soft and breathless, and I wondered if I'd been kidding myself. I didn't have time to figure it out. A small hand landed on my back and I fisted my bloody knife.I wasn't gonna die tonight. But someone else was.*HARD LIMIT is the first book in the Alpha Antihero Series.The Alpha Antihero SeriesHARD LIMITHARD JUSTICEHARD SIN
Taken by Lies
Ella Miles - 2019
From USA Today Bestselling Author Ella Miles comes a new dark romance series!I was taken.Kidnapped by a boy I thought I could love.Then he sold me as if I were property.For three years I endured.Beatings.Torture.Pain.I never broke.I was strong, determined, resilient.But then one day it happened...I broke.Setting me free.I should have run away, found a new life, and started over.Instead, I returned.To find the man who sold me.This is book ends on a cliffhanger.Series Order:Lured by Lies #0.5--Prequel Novella included in this bookTaken by Lies #1Betrayed by Truths #2Trapped by Lies #3Stolen by Truths #4Possessed by Lies #5Consumed by Truths #6
Tarnished
Indie Black - 2021
Instead, he made me fear the dark. He was supposed to love me. In the end, his love was sickening, cruel and filled with malice.Five years ago, the only bright lights in my world were extinguished. One decision. One text. One sentence and my fragile life shattered. I never expected the depravity and lies that greets me when I return to Montecito, leaving me with one goal... To flee and never look back.Everything changes when three gorgeous guys crash into my life. They’re determined to mark me as theirs, and make me question everything I hold true.But when the ghosts of my past and future collide, who will be left standing? Me… or the monster who coveted me for all of the wrong reasons, turning me into what I am today…Tarnished. *Tarnished is the first book in the Tainted by Ruin Trilogy and cannot be read as a standalone. It is a Dark High School Reverse Harem Romance that contains scenes that may be triggering to some. Including : sexual assault (minor), physical abuse & self harm. Recommended for readers 18+.
Made of Steel
Ivy Smoak - 2020
The only thing she knew for sure was that she was going to marry him. Just as soon as she could convince him that she didn't have cooties. But tragedy tore her away from him before they ever got a chance at their happily ever after. And the worst part? He forgot all about her.Ten years after Summer lost everything, she's given a fresh start in the witness protection program. The only rule: don't speak to anyone from her past. A rule that's hard to follow when she finds out that the boy next door is living right down the hall. Unlike him, she never forgot. But she knows that the future she once dreamed of is no longer an option. And if she reveals her identity, she could get them both killed.Miles fell in love with the girl next door when he was eight-years-old. When she disappeared in the foster care system, it felt like a piece of him was missing. So when she shows up in his life again with a different color hair and a new name? It doesn’t fool him. And this time he'll do whatever it takes to keep her.
Dark Domination
Lili Valente - 2015
He’ll see her on her knees, even if he has to pay for the privilege. Six years ago, Hannah buried her twin sister. Now, with her family in jeopardy, Hannah must sell herself to a wealthy stranger in order to save their home. She expects to be scarred by the experience. She doesn’t expect to pay penance for her sister’s sins or to meet a man who brings her body savagely to life. Now Hannah must choose—confess to Jackson that she’s not the twin he’s looking for and forfeit the money she needs to survive, or submit to a man whose dark domination may be the end of them both. * *Dark Domination is the 1st in the Bought by the Billionaire serial romance series. The entire series will release summer 2015* *
All the Glory
Elle Casey - 2014
He's Banner High's first-string varsity wide receiver, headed to another State championship, and the college recruiters are already knocking on his door. His girlfriend is every guy's dream, there's a brand new black Camaro with a 6.2L, V-6 engine parked in his garage, and he's on cruise control. But when the school's beloved football coach turns up dead and Jason's found standing over the body, his cruise control cuts off bringing his charmed life to a screeching halt, and the reality of being an accused murderer of the first degree takes over. When everyone else walks away and leaves him to hang, one girl can't. But it's going to take more than guessing and wishing to get through to him and the truth of what happened, since he seems bound and determined to accept his fate as a criminal, tried as an adult and eligible for lethal injection.Can one really determined girl get to the bottom of the mystery when no one else seems to care? It would be so much easier to watch him go down, and for many, maybe just a little bit too satisfying. After all, who isn't guilty of finding pleasure in seeing that perfect someone suddenly exposed for the self-centered prick that he really is?Content warning: For teens and adults. Some foul language, violence is mild in description but serious in effect.A message from Elle about this book: I was lying in bed one night, almost totally asleep, and this story just popped into my head. It was so gripping, I forced myself to wake up so I wouldn’t lose the idea. I sat up in bed with my laptop computer that’s never far from my side and wrote out the first 10,000 words along with a plot outline. I’m a big fan of stories where people’s lives are completely turned upside down, so this was a real pleasure to dig into. For me, it was one of those books that practically wrote itself.
Three Days
J.S. Cooper - 2014
What happens at the private club stays at the private club! When Meg Riley lost her job as an attorney, she never thought she'd end up working for a private club. But when she met the handsome and elusive, Greyson Twining, she knew she couldn't turn the job down; even though she didn't really know what the position entailed. Greyson Twining is the owner of the private club and he knows that it's a mistake to hire, Meg. However, there is something about the way she smiles at him that makes him forget his own reservations. And then there's the call from, Brandon Hastings telling him not to hire Meg. A call he should have listened to more closely. As, Meg and Greyson embark on day one of training, neither of them realize that there are secrets about to come out that will completely alter both of their lives.