Book picks similar to
Absinthe of the Heart by Monica James


romance
contemporary-romance
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new-adult

Blind Kiss


Renee Carlino - 2018
    Fourteen years ago, this shop was her childhood dance studio... Now she’s a suburban housewife, dreading the moment her son departs for MIT, leaving her with an impeccably decorated McMansion and a failing marriage. She had her chance at wild, stars-in-her-eyes happiness, but that was a lifetime ago. After The Kiss. Before The Decision.The Kiss was soulful. Magical. Earth-shattering, And it was all for a free gift card. Asked to participate in a psych study that posed the question, “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny agreed to be blindfolded, make polite conversation with a total stranger, and kiss him. She never expected The Kiss to change her life forever and introduce her to Gavin: tattooed, gorgeous, and spontaneous enough to ask her out seconds after the blindfolds came off.For a year, they danced between friendship and romance—until Penny made The Decision that forced them to settle for friendship. Now, fourteen years later, both of their lives are about to radically change—and it’s his turn to decide what will become of their once-in-a-lifetime connection."

Elite


Rachel Van Dyken - 2013
    But after her grandmother's death, Tracey is all her grandfather has. So when Eagle Elite University announces its annual scholarship lottery, Tracey jumps at the opportunity to secure their future and enters. She isn't expecting much-but then she wins. And life as she knows it will never be same . . .The students at Eagle Elite are unlike any she's ever met . . . and they refuse to make things easy for her. There's Nixon, gorgeous, irresistible, and leader of a group that everyone fears: The Elect. Their rules are simple. 1. Do not touch The Elect. 2. Do not look at The Elect. 3. Do not speak to The Elect. No matter how hard she tries to stay away, The Elect are always around her and it isn't long until she finds out the reason why they keep their friends close and their enemies even closer. She just didn't realize she was the enemy -- until it was too late.

Connected


Kim Karr - 2013
    Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable.When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soulmate. Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia's grief begins to lift--but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her. But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?

In Harmony


Emma Scott - 2018
    The happy, driven girl is gone, and she is left wracked by post-traumatic stress her body remembers even if she does not. When her father suddenly uproots the family from their posh penthouse in New York City to the tiny town of Harmony, Indiana, Willow becomes more untethered and lost under the weight of her secret. On a whim, she auditions for a part in the community theater’s production of Hamlet and unexpectedly wins the role of Ophelia—the girl who is undone by madness, and her love of Hamlet… Isaac Pierce is from the ‘wrong side of the tracks.’ The town bad boy. Girls pine for his attention and guys are in awe of him. That he’s an acting prodigy only adds to his charisma. Isaac utterly disappears into his characters; the stage is the only place he feels safe from his own traumatic home life. He wants nothing more than to escape to Broadway or Hollywood, and leave Harmony behind for good. No one can play Hamlet but Isaac, and when the director pairs him with Willow in acting class, they clash again and again—neither willing to open their hearts to anyone. But clashing leads to breaking, breaking leads to the spilling of terrible secrets, and soon Isaac and Willow find Shakespeare’s words mirroring their lives. When they are cruelly torn apart, neither know how this play will end—with madness and heartache? Or healing, love, and the discovery of who they are truly meant to be. In Harmony is a standalone NEW ADULT love story, and is intended for readers 18 and up. PLEASE NOTE, this book contains sensitive material such as physical abuse, and the aftermath of sexual assault (off the page). Reader discretion is advised.

Unbreak My Heart


Nicole Jacquelyn - 2016
    The fact that Shane's in the military and away for long periods helps—but when tragedy strikes, everything changes.After Rachel, pregnant with her fourth child, dies in a car accident and the baby miraculously survives, Kate upends her entire life to share parenting duties. Then on the first anniversary of Rachel's death, Kate and Shane take comfort in each other in a night that they both soon regret.Shane's been angry for a year, and now he feels guilty too—for sleeping with his wife's best friend and liking it... liking her. Kate's ability to read him like a book may have once sent Shane running, but their lives are forever entwined and they are growing closer.Now with Shane deployed for seven months, Kate is on her own and struggling with being a single parent. Shane is loving and supportive from thousands of miles away, but his homecoming brings a betrayal Kate never saw coming. So Kate's only choice is to fight for the future she deserves—with or without Shane...

Nixon


Ker Dukey - 2018
    Her. Things may be complicated, but we were always destined for each other.I’ll protect her from any threat and defend my interests, even if it means going against my own brothers. My name is Nixon Pearson.I’m ruthless and deadly, but also devoted. People may think I’m young and naïve, but that’s just a mask I wear to fool them.****First came the Four Fathers. Now it's time for the Four Sons.Nixon (Four Sons, #1) by Ker DukeyHayden (Four Sons, #2) by J.D. HollyfieldBrock (Four Sons, #3) by Dani RenéCamden (Four Sons, #4) by K Webster***This series should be read in order to understand the plot.***

A Pound of Flesh


Sophie Jackson - 2015
    There she meets arrogant Wesley Carter, who’s as handsome as he is dangerous, as mysterious as he is quick-witted, and with a reputation that ensures people will keep their distance.As teacher and student, Kat and Carter are forced to leave their animosities at the door and learn that one should never judge a book by its cover. As Carter’s barriers begin to crumble, Kat realizes there’s much more to her angry student than she thought, leaving them to face a new, perilous obstacle: their undeniable attraction to one another.

Unbroken


Melody Grace - 2013
    Emerson Ray was my hurricane...." Juliet McKenzie was an innocent eighteen-year old when she spent the summer in Beachwood Bay—and fell head over heels in love with Emerson. Complicated, intense Emerson, the local bad boy. His blue eyes hid dark secrets, and just one touch could set Juliet ablaze. Their love was demanding and all-consuming, but when summer ended, tragedy tore them apart. Juliet swore she’d never go back, and she’s kept that promise… Until now. Four years later, Juliet’s done her best to rebuild the wreckage of her shattered life. She’s got a great boyfriend, and a steady job planned after she graduates. Returning to Beachwood to pack up her family’s beach house to prepare it for sale, Juliet is determined that nothing will stand in the way of her future. But one look from Emerson, and all her old desire comes flooding back. He let her go once, but this time, he’s not giving up without a fight. And Emerson fights dirty.A heartbreaking history. An unstoppable passion. Torn between her past and future, Juliet struggles to separate love from desire. But will they find a way to overcome their tragic secrets—together? And after so much damage has been done, can a love remain unbroken? *This book contains adult situations and explicit content.*

The Fall


Kate Stewart - 2015
    . . and the end of it.I was only fifteen years old when he claimed it and twenty when he took it with him.They say what is meant to be will find a way. But when you have changed to the point of no return, how can anything ever be the same?Seven years later, Dean Martin waltzed back into my life in hopes of resuming what I had fought so hard to forget, but he was in for a wake-up call.I was no longer the naïve woman he had left . . . and I was no longer his.I met the love of my life and my soul mate when I was fifteen. I knew that; he knew that. He wanted that girl back. I wanted to forget she ever existed.DeanWhat I thought was my pre-destined path was very much an illusion. Living seven years with regret, I realized too late that I was broken, and that I only had myself to blame.I thought love could wait . . . but it didn’t. We’d had it all those years ago, and then I foolishly left it behind.She was all that mattered. She was all there ever was.There was no life without Dallas, no reason . . . except her.No matter how hard she tried to convince me, I knew I had to once again make her mine, to make her remember . . . the fall.Explicit sex, strong language.

The Image of You


Melanie Moreland
    Braving danger and devastation, he is determined to tell the world the stories he captures through his lens.Until a misstep leads him to her.Alexandra Robbins.With her fiery red hair and crystal-blue eyes that hide her secrets, she draws him in. And he is willing to change his life for her.Except her past holds her captive. Nothing seems to free her, and despite his best efforts, she is lost to him. But her image never fades from his mind—or his heart.Until their paths cross again.And this time, he is determined to keep her. He won’t lose focus until she is back in his arms and his life.Permanently.(Formerly published as My Image of You, 2017)>

Six Years


Stephanie Witter - 2015
    She’d always had a crush on him. He'd only ever seen her like a little sister. And now...he’s back.BrooklynI thought that he was a part of a distant past. I thought I didn’t feel anything for him now, but I was not so sure anymore. Having him back in my life, for however long it was, was making me see things differently. So many things had changed in the last six years and somehow I’d lost myself and forgotten all about my dreams. My home life was still a mess, my personal life was nothing to boast about and when I see how successful he is, how everything he’d always wanted came true, I couldn't help but feel lacking in a lot of ways. But he’s back and he needed me. I knew I was the only one who understood that part of his life, the only one he’s willing to share it with. My heart is still beating too hard and too fast for him and this time around, I was as much an adult as he was. Having a six year age gap didn't mean shit.NolanBeing back in Riverdale was harder than I thought. I’d turned my back on that life, but there had always been that one girl in my head. Little B. Now she’s nothing like the twelve year old girl I’d last seen. She’s a young woman, gorgeous and sexy. I couldn't stay away. There’s something drawing me to her and it goes beyond my need to reconnect with her, to have her back in my life and fill the hollow part of my chest. But I couldn't forget the little girl she had been; I shouldn’t forget the little girl she used to be.Growing up with a junkie mother and nobody else, my neighbor, Brooklyn, had been my only happy place. I had taken care of her, and when I had left, I had to leave behind a huge part of me. I couldn't do it again. I needed her. Once again, she’s the only person I want in my life, but I wasn’t sure if it was for all the right reasons. Were there too many obstacles in the way?Contemporary Romance standalone novel for readers over 18.

Pure Abandon


Jeannine Colette - 2015
    For me, it was in the soul-searing golden eyes of a magnanimous CEO. It all started when I decided to go back to work. After putting my career on hold, I told my husband I wanted to reclaim the woman I once was. My intentions were pure, and my heart belonged to my husband. Then, I met him. Alexander Asher is arrogant. Rude and dismissive, he got under my skin. I absolutely hated working for the Manhattan playboy and heir to his family’s fortune. Then, a misunderstanding led to friendship, the friendship became fierce, and soon I found myself questioning Asher’s motives … and my own.I shouldn’t feel this way. I fought the temptation until a dark secret had me rethinking everything, especially what I once thought was perfect. Two men are devastatingly broken by my actions—and I can only fix one. When I make my choice, will he even want me after all that’s happened? ******Pure Abandon is a STANDALONE novel in the Abandon Collection and a USA Today Smashwords Hitlist Bestseller!The Abandon Collection is a series of standalone novels featuring dynamic heroines who have to abandon their reality in order to discover themselves . . . and love along the way. Each book features a new couple, an exciting city, and a rose of a different color.

Pieces of You


Jay McLean - 2021
    Another world.Where his wasn’t falling apart.And hers wasn’t already in pieces.-High school senior Holden Eastwood only has one fear in life: growing up.He spends his days unmotivated, moving from one game to the next, searching for his next challenge.He never expected that challenge to come in the form of a girl…A girl with zero fashion sense, a filthy mouth, and a bullsh*t attitude.Unlike Holden, Jameson Taylor had no choice but to grow up.Neglected, isolated, and forced to raise herself, Jameson only has one goal in life: graduate and move on.The last thing she needs is some guy she can’t stand suddenly declaring her as his new hobby.Their lives couldn’t be more opposite.Their pasts a complete paradox.But in each other, they find the unexpected…They find solace.Fragments of forever…A forever that might tear them to pieces.

The Dance


Alison G. Bailey - 2016
    Bailey, comes a Contemporary Romance story about what happens after the happily ever.*** Bryson Walker stumbled heart first into the steady rhythm of her life, never questioning whether other possibilities existed. She had been Will’s girl since their junior year in high school, followed him to college, and married him soon after graduation. In every respect, they were a loving and successful couple, until a series of missteps shattered all of Bryson’s truths. Maybe their life was nothing more than smoke and mirrors. A performance that was never based in reality. Hart was barely an acquaintance. He and Bryson shared one brief moment during senior prom, full of friction and heat that ignited a spark. But that night Bryson walked away and Hart let her go. Years later, twisted fate brings Bryson and Hart together again, causing her to wonder if this is her second chance at once in a lifetime.

The Perfect Game


J. Sterling - 2012
    And she's the game changer he never knew he needed.The Perfect Game tells the story of college juniors, Cassie Andrews & Jack Carter. When Cassie meets rising baseball hopeful Jack, she is determined to steer clear of him and his typical cocky attitude. But Jack has other things on his mind... like getting Cassie to give him the time of day. They're both damaged, filled with mistrust and guarded before they find one another (and themselves) in this emotional journey about love and forgiveness. Strap yourselves for a ride that will not only break your heart, but put it back together. Sometimes life gets ugly before it gets beautiful...This is a MATURE YOUNG ADULT/NEW ADULT novelSuitable for ages 17+ Contains strong language, sexual situations and references