Book picks similar to
No Regrets by Jess Bryant


second-chance
romance
contemporary
abuse

Love's Taming


Maryann Jordan - 2014
    And boring. Between focusing on keeping her small, inner-city clinic running, paying off student loans, and living in the tiny apartment above the clinic she has no time for fun or dating and certainly not for anything adventurous. Then one night, danger and surprise show up in the alley behind her clinic. And Annie is in for the ride of her life. Stoney is a mystery. A man of few words but smoldering looks. She decides to take a risk and after a night of passion finds herself thrown into a world that she never knew existed. A world of drugs, danger and intrigue. Shane is a detective, who vows to keep Annie safe at all costs. Losing his heart to her is the easy part. Keeping her safe and earning her trust will prove to be his most difficult task. **DUE TO ADULT CONTENT, SEXUAL SCENES OF AN EXPLICIT NATURE, AND LANGUAGE THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER CRUDE, 18+ only, please. **NO cliffhanger, HEA, inter-connected stand alone stories in the series**

It Was Always You


Andrea Johnston - 2019
    . . Boy and girl are childhood best friends. Boy moves away and devastates girl. Years later, two strangers meet on the internet and one of them has a secret.Or two. When Ally Honeycutt rushes home to her small town of Pickerton Grove she never expected to find her once best friend working at his family’s business. No longer the small little boy she once chased lightning bugs with, Drew Collins would give any sinful rock star a run for his money. With soulful dark brown eyes and hair that slips easily through her fingers, she’s less worried about what he keeps trying to tell her and more interested in the way his lips feel on hers. Drew Collins has made a lot of mistakes in his life, the last one landing him behind bars. He never dreamed a single dare would find him back in contact with the first girl he ever loved. Ally Honeycutt is everything good in the world, and his mistakes make him the bad boy every fictional girl dreams of. Now if he could only stop falling in love long enough to tell her the secrets that could ruin it all. They say you can’t go home again but what happens when home is in the heart of your best friend?

Zack


Esther E. Schmidt - 2015
    But three years later, her unexpected return is stirring up feelings that never died, and Zack’s ready to do whatever it takes to get her back. Belle has never gotten over Zack, but she has secrets—secrets she knows could hurt those closest to her, Zack included. When an old enemy returns and wants what he thinks is already his for the taking, she knows it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. With so much more than just their love on the line, will Zack and Belle manage to come together as one and pull through or will their past and their enemies tear them apart?

Inky


J.B. Hartnett - 2013
    While working as a bartender to pay her bills, she meets Cole, a sexy divorcee. She denies their mutual attraction and tries to put him out of her mind.When an abusive person from her childhood makes an unexpected visit, Inky’s world is turned upside down. Secrets are revealed and truths are exposed leaving Inky devastated and questioning what she thought was love. As she picks up the pieces and tries to move on, she finds her path crosses with Cole once again and this time, she cannot deny the passion between them.Once she opens her heart again, will she be able to move forward or will her past find a way to stop her?

Heat Wave


Karina Halle - 2016
    ~~~ Still grieving the loss of her sister who died two years ago, the last thing Veronica "Ronnie" Locke needed was to lose her job at one of Chicago’s finest restaurants and have to move back in with her parents. So when a window of opportunity opens for her – running a kitchen at a small Hawaiian hotel – she’d be crazy not to take it. The only problem is, the man running the hotel drives her crazy:Logan Shephard.It doesn’t matter that he’s got dark brown eyes, a tall, muscular build that’s sculpted from daily surfing sessions, and a deep Australian accent that makes your toes curl.What does matter is that he’s a grump.Kind of an asshole, too.And gets under Ronnie’s skin like no one else. But the more time Ronnie spends on the island of Kauai, falling in love with the lush land and its carefree lifestyle, the closer she gets to Logan. And the closer she gets to Logan, the more she realizes she may have pegged him all wrong. Maybe it’s the hot, steamy jungles or the invigorating ocean air, but soon their relationship becomes utterly intoxicating. There’s just one major catch. The two of them together would incite a scandal neither Ronnie, nor her family, would ever recover from. Forbidden, Illicit, off-limits – sometimes the heat is worth surrendering to, even if you get burned.Note: this is a standalone novel, unrelated to any previous books. It does NOT contain cheating of any kind.

Detour


D.D. Prince - 2016
    He’s 28, tall, dark, gorgeous, and 100% alpha male. In the relationship department, things either go one way or the other. He either shows them a good time and moves on, never going back for seconds, or he stakes a claim and things get serious REAL fast. It’s been a long while since he’s been motivated to claim anyone. Deacon has what some might classify a problem with possessiveness and jealousy. When he stakes his claim, he means it. And he allows no one to mess with that.Meet Ella. Ella, 23, is like the Marilyn Munster of her eclectic household. Despite her crazy hippie parents and rambunctious little brother, her life is boring and humdrum. And her love life is so far off the mark that she considers herself in a serious relationship with her battery-operated boyfriend. She’s having trouble shaking off an ex that won’t go away and fending off her partying friends who continually hassle her to either party with them or be their designated driver. But things are about to get real for Ella. Real fast. Very soon after she notices the new Beautiful Biker in town she finds herself in a real pickle. In fact, Ella keeps finding herself in trouble. And Deacon, whose MC has just opened a chapter, biker bar, and garage in Ella’s town, (much to the chagrin of an existing rival MC), notices Ella, too. Deacon keeps swooping in to save Ella’s bacon from a variety of tight spots.And because of that, it draws even further attention to her. Someone or several someones want revenge against Deacon and his MC and don’t mind using Ella to make a point.Ella has been warned away from Deacon. And she worries that her heart will go SPLAT if she lets the beautiful biker get too close. But it’s too late. Ella has no choice because Deacon is determined to get right in her space.

The Way We Fall


Cassia Leo - 2015
    Maybe we shouldn’t have fallen so fast and so willingly.Maybe we shouldn’t have moved in together before we went on our first date.Maybe we should have given our wounds time to heal before we tore each other to shreds.Maybe we should have never been together.Houston has kept a devastating secret from Rory since the day he took her into his home. But the tragic circumstances that brought them together left wounds too deep to heal.Five years after the breakup, Houston and Rory are thrust together by forces beyond their control. And all the resentments and passion return with more intensity than ever.Once again, Houston is left with a choice between the truth and the only girl he’s ever loved.The Way We Fall is the first book in The Story of Us series, which follows the tumultuous love story of Rory and Houston. The sequel, The Way We Break, will be released Spring 2015.

Draw


Cora Brent - 2014
    A set of fraternal triplets born to a depraved family, they were rough, sexy and wild as wolves."Saylor... I don’t even know if love is real. After running from the bastard who brutalized me, I limped back to Arizona, choosing a vibrant college town in the hopes of starting over. I never expected to find him there. Cord Gentry. He and his brothers were tough, lusty forces of nature I’d known since childhood. Years ago, Cord seduced me as a sick game. I’ve hated him ever since. Now here he is again, a man who beats other men bloody for money. Cord has always been heartless, dangerous, not to be trusted. And I want him so much I can’t think. Cord...They called us ‘those white trash Gentry boys’ until we believed that’s what we were. Our people squatted at the edge of a hellhole prison town for generations. The childhood we endured was the stuff of nightmares. I’d learned early on that my brothers, Chase and Creed, were the only people on earth worth my time. They all told us we were bad, that we’d always be bad. The horrors of the past have scarred my soul. But now I need to be better. For her. Warning: This book contains explicit language, sexual situations, and violence which may be upsetting to some. Draw is the first of the Gentry Boys series, however this New Adult Romance novel can be read as a stand alone.

The Man I Love


Suanne Laqueur - 2014
    When he transitions from protected to protector."Erik "Fish" Fiskare is only a college junior when a gunman walks into the campus theater, intent on stopping the show. From the lighting booth, Fish sees his girlfriend, Marguerite "Daisy" Bianco, get caught in the line of fire. Everyone runs away from the stage but Fish, in a watershed moment, runs toward it.Spanning fifteen years, The Man I Love explores how a single act of violence reverberates through a circle of friends. At the center are Fish and Daisy, two soul mates who always brought out the best in each other. Both are hailed as heroes after the shooting, yet the tragedy starts to bring out the worst in them, tearing the circle apart.Soon, Fish is running again—not toward Daisy this time, but as far away as possible. But can you really leave the one you were born to love? And is leaving always the end of loving?"You never got over her, Fish. You just left. You may think that's closure, but it isn't. You may think a woman like Daisy comes along twice in a lifetime, but she doesn't."Fearlessly touching on today's social and mental health issues, The Man I Love follows Erik Fiskare's journey back to the truth of himself and a woman he can't forget. With its gripping story and an unforgettable cast of characters, this epic novel of love and forgiveness lingers long after the last page is turned. on an emotional journey of love and truth."

Trigger


L.P. Dover - 2017
    . . that’s what I am. It’s what I do. It’s what I live for. I’m no longer the Preston Hale everyone knew. I left that life and the people in it a long time ago the second I made my first kill. I wasn’t going to give in, but when I heard the screams there was no going back. It triggered the pain, the need. I knew what I had to do, and I did it well. But I never expected for Emma Turner – the only link to my past – to come back into my life. She triggers a different emotion inside me, something I hadn’t ever felt. It’s not a want to kill . . . but a need to CLAIM.

Silenced


Leddy Harper - 2017
    Silenced and scarred, he keeps to himself, spending his time with his notebook in the woods behind his aunt’s house. Until Rylee Anderson…When Rylee spots Killian hopping over a fence next door, she follows him, unprepared for the boy she’d find—or the relationship that would unfold over the next seven years.Or the silence that would follow.Fighting between the hate of his past and the promise of his future, Killian must make choices—ones that would affect more than himself. Choices that would test the lines of right and wrong. Decisions that could break the bond of the only love Killian knew.Hate or love.Revenge or forgiveness.Silence or his voice.

Beautifully Broken


Alex Grayson - 2014
    A place to take a deep breath after months on the run.What Bailey didn’t count on were the people welcoming her with open arms. Making her feel safe and protected for the first time in her life.Especially Jaxon Walker. The tattooed bar owner who’s determined to get under her skin and force her to reveal her deepest secrets. Even if it puts everyone she cares about in danger.Just when Bailey finds the love she’s been searching for her whole life, her past blazes its way into the dream world she’s been living in.Will Jaxon save Bailey before it’s too late? Or will the evil that is her husband finally finish her off?

Rule Breaker By Accident


Ali Parker - 2019
     One rule. Easy enough, or so I thought. Until this hot surgeon that I’ve been dating off and on becomes a client. It was a casual fling, a fun summer love affair. Until it wasn’t. My heart wasn’t ready to fall so hard for this bad boy in scrubs. The secrets he has hidden in his past stop me dead in my tracks. But he isn’t giving up on us. Not for anything. And I have to decide where I stand. Break the rules or walk away from the best thing I’ve ever had.

Saugatuck Summer


Amelia C. Gormley - 2014
    At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. But let’s get real. Walking the fake-it-til-you-make-it road to independence and self-respect isn’t easy. Especially since my mom’s a deadbeat alcoholic, and most of my family expects me to turn out just as worthless. Oh, and I’m close to losing my college swimming scholarship, so let’s add “dropout” to the list.My BFF has invited me to stay at her beach house on the shore of Lake Michigan. That’ll give me one summer to make money and figure out what I want to do with my life. So of course I decide to have an affair with my BFF’s married, closeted dad. Because that always works out.Now I’m homeless, friendless, jobless. Worthless. Just like my family expects, right? Except there’s this great guy, Jace, who sees it differently. He’s got it all together in ways I can only dream of—he’s hot, creative, insightful, understanding. He seems to think I don’t give myself enough credit. And if I don’t watch out, I may start to believe him.

Leo's Chance


Mia Sheridan - 2013
    Does everyone deserve a second chance? Even someone who lies and deceives to get it?Do we all have a second chance coming? Even if we play a part in our own destruction?How hard would you fight to have a second chance at love? A second chance at life? Another chance to tell your own story?Every love story has two sides. Evie told hers. This time it's Leo's chance.THIS IS A POV NOVEL OF LEO (LEO SHOULD BE READ FIRST). New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.