Book picks similar to
Shy Kinda Love by Deanna Eshler
new-adult
contemporary
romance
abuse
Saving Ella
Kirsty Dallas - 2013
Staying still was dangerous...trusting someone was terrifying.The protection every child is owed was lost on Ella Munroe. Her tiny body was beaten and bruised, and pain became her only comfort. With her head down, scars covered, and heart locked behind a wall of steel Ella ran. On the streets she may have found her freedom, but she was still alone, until she found Mercy’s, until she found Jax.Born a warrior, Jaxon Carter could intimidate with no more than a glance, but this warrior was not born to destroy, he was born to protect. With his own scars buried deep inside, Jax spent his days working for his mom’s shelter, Mercy’s. The first time he saw Ella, he knew she was a runner. Gaining her trust would take all his heart, and he was prepared to give it.All Jax had to do was keep Ella safe, it all seemed so easy….“Your scars might remind you of where you’ve been angel, but they don’t have to dictate where you’re going.” ~ Jaxon CarterRead OrderSaving Ella, Book OneFighting Back, Book TwoTortured Soul, Book ThreeMother's Love, Book FourLosing Lola, Book Five
Little Liar
Willow Winters - 2018
That’s how stories like these get started. But every lie I told, he saw through it. I think in his heart he knew I was broken; he felt my pain as if it was his. And that’s what changed everything. He’s the reason it all fell apart.Sometimes it’s a single moment that alters everything in existence.Sometimes it’s the fall of dominoes, lined up in a pretty little row and designed so that each one will cause more and more pain.In a single day, it’s all changed, and there’s no way to take it back.I didn't know what would happen. But secrets and lies ruin everything.“I was captivated from the very beginning, and I couldn't let go until the very end. Winters wove an outstanding tale, which has an even better message within its pages.” - Kendra @ Reads and Treats** It's Our Secret was previously titled Little Liar **
Nothing Left to Lose
Kirsty Moseley - 2013
Three years after the tragic events of Anna’s sixteenth birthday which saw her boyfriend killed and her kidnapped by his sadistic murderer, she’s no longer the happy-go-lucky girl that everyone used to know and love; she’s now cold, hard and suffers from night terrors. Carter is currently serving time for the murder of Jack–a conviction that Anna helped secure–but his retrial is coming up because some key evidence appears to have been tampered with. Needing to ensure his daughter’s safety, presidential candidate, Senator Spencer, tasks in Ashton Taylor, a newly qualified SWAT agent, to guard the broken girl and keep her safe until the end of the trial. For three years Anna has refused to feel emotion or pain. Can Ashton help her rebuild her life and finally deal with the grief of losing her childhood sweetheart? Will he be the one to make her see that life is, in fact, worth living and that not all men will hurt her?
Author's note: This edition contains Part 1 (Guarding the Broken) and Part 2 (Blurring the Lines) and combines them into one novel of epic proportion!
Librarian's note: This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN: B00GGMQLFO.
Blind Faith
Kimberley Reeves - 2012
Though her phobia of men and the loss of her eye sight are constant reminders it happened, Serena has no memory of the brutal attack. Now at age twenty-two, she is ready to conquer her fears and lets an old high school friend rent out the upper floor of her house. Can Will Duncan help cure Serena's insecurities or will the secrets he harbors about that night shatter her faith in men forever?
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.
A Life Less Broken
Margaret McHeyzer - 2014
Broken and damaged, Allyn seeks help from someone that fate brought her.Dr. Dominic Shriver is a psychiatrist who’s drawn to difficult cases. He must push past his own personal battles to help Allyn fight her monsters and nightmares.Is Dr. Shriver the answer to her healing?Can Allyn overcome the broken?Contains distressing content. Only suitable for 18+. Standalone.
Therapy
Kathryn Perez - 2014
I’m needy. I’m broken. Cutting breaks through my numbness, but only opens more wounds. Depression, self-harm, bullying....that's my reality. Sex and guys....that's my escape. The space between the truth and lies is blurred leaving me torn, lost and confused. And while the monsters that live in my head try to beat me-- the two men that I love try to save me. This is my story of friendship, heartache, and the grueling journey that is mental-illness.Warning: Due to possible triggering subject matter and some sexual situations this book is not recommended for anyone under the age of 17 years old.
Tell Me When
Stina Lindenblatt - 2013
She should be pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She should be working hard to make sense of her precalculus math class. She shouldn’t be waking up her college roommate with screaming nightmares. She shouldn’t be flashing back, reliving the three weeks of hell she barely survived last year. And she definitely shouldn’t be spending time with sexy player Marcus Reid. But engineering student Marcus is the only one keeping Amber from failing her math course, so she grudgingly lets him into her life. She never expects the king of hookups will share his painful past. Or that she’ll tell him her secrets in return, opening up and trusting him in a way she thought she’d never be able to again. When their fragile future together is threatened by a stalker Amber thought was locked away for good, Marcus is determined to protect her. And Amber is determined to protect Marcus…even if that means pushing him away.
Brother's Keeper
Elizabeth Finn - 2012
Will time run out, or will he find a way to protect her before her abusive father kills her?When Rowan is awarded a ballet scholarship to Michigan State University during her senior year of high school, her life’s dream is finally realized. Having lost her mother at an early age and being subjected to the abuse of a destitute drunken father, she has known unimaginable loss and heartache and been left wanting for a better life—a life now within her grasp. But with one ill-fated phone call, her life is turned upside down.Logan is Rowan's best friend’s older brother whose career is taking off as he prepares to graduate law school and move cross-country to the prestigious law firm that has offered him a very lucrative contract. When Rowan finds herself at Logan’s mercy after he inadvertently learns of the abuse she has suffered at the hands of her father, their lives become intertwined in a way neither ever imagined nor wanted.In an effort to protect her, but with his own hands tied by her unwillingness to report the abuse, Logan strikes a deal requiring Rowan to stay with him whenever there is a chance her father might be on a drunken binge—which is often. For her agreement and cooperation, he will keep her secret. Soon, their time together weighs on them both, and they find themselves constantly tempted to step outside the bounds of their supposed platonic relationship. But there is no point. The devastating fact of the matter is their lives are moving in opposite directions—a relationship destined to die before it even has a chance to live.The ever present clock plagues them both as it ticks off the days until they are parted. But one all important question remains—after he leaves, how will he protect her from a father intent on hating her until the day he dies … or the day he kills her?Genre: Erotic Romance Fiction
Bedmates
Nichole Chase - 2016
But when you’re the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire’s latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president’s son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They’re like oil and water and every time they’re together, it’s combustible. But there’s a thin line between love and hate, and it’s not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he’s resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn’t about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie’s fallen for him, and she’ll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can’t lose.
Waiting for Wyatt
S.D. Hendrickson - 2016
It was unexpected, leaving a feeling in the pit of my stomach like the time I drove too fast over Beckett Hill. The moment happened out of nowhere, all fast and quick and a little strange. Or maybe that was just Wyatt’s personality.It was Charlie that brought us together. Little Charlie with those ridiculous ears. I found the dog, waiting in a pool of his own blood. Waiting for someone. Waiting for me.Now Wyatt, he wasn’t waiting for anyone. At least that’s what he said, except I saw something different in the broken guy all alone out in the woods. I knew he needed me before he knew it himself.Wyatt with his hidden dimples. Wyatt with his warnings to stay away. He was a hard lump of coal, ready to burn everything around him. The more he burned, the more it pulled me into the pain I saw etched on his troubled face.I wanted to help Wyatt. I wanted to save him like he had saved all the Charlies in the world. He told me not to fall for him, but I did anyway. I fell hard and fast and deeply in love with Wyatt Caulfield.
But that was before I knew his secret.
Author Note: Waiting for Wyatt is the love story of Wyatt Caulfield and Emma Sawyer, which also features rescue animals. It's a 112,000 word Standalone Novel. Contemporary Romance / Coming of Age/ New Adult & College
Destroyed
Pepper Winters - 2014
Not broken or ruined or running from a past I can’t face. Just complicated. I thought my life couldn’t get any more tangled in deceit and confusion. But I hadn’t met him. I hadn't realized how far I could fall or what I'd do to get free. He has a secret.I’ve never pretended to be good or deserving. I chase who I want, do what I want, act how I want.I didn’t have time to lust after a woman I had no right to lust after. I told myself to shut up and stay hidden. But then she tried to run. I’d tasted what she could offer me and damned if I would let her go.One secret destroys them.
Moonshine
Regina Bartley - 2013
One tragic day leaves her questioning her strength and her sanity. She is left fighting an internal battle that she believes can't be won. Her best friend thinks that he loves her enough to save her, but sometimes sweet words just aren't enough. Once he hears her secret, will he still believe that love will heal her or will the truth be too much for him to handle?Sometimes when we are faced with such horrible events we force ourselves to overcome, but at what cost? Will he stay or will he go? Find out if love is enough. Stand Alone Novel Recommended for ages 18+ due to graphic language, sexual content, and mature subject matter.
Because of Him
Terri E. Laine - 2017
Laine.Past and present intertwine with light and dark to tell a story ...Because of Him Something inside me fiercely craves normal.Sheltered all my life and taught to be afraid, I want to be bold, fearless. Up until now I've kept myself and my heart safe.Tade Astor, a guy so hot he steals my breath away, jeopardizes it all.He isn't the kind of guy to give up on what he wants—me.He’s determined to prove my safe world is missing something—him.Even though he may not be the cocky guy I assumed him to be...He’s definitely not the guy I should give my heart to.But each time I see him, he becomes harder to resist.I want to be brave and give him a chance... though it might come back to haunt me.At the heart of Because of Him is a love story. But due to certain sensitive topics, it might not be suitable for all readers.
Becoming Calder
Mia Sheridan - 2014
In this place, there is no room for dreams, no space for self-expression, and no tolerance for ambition.In this place, there is a boy with the body of a god and the heart of a warrior. He is strong and faithful and serves his family honorably. But he dares to dream of more.In this place, there is a girl with the face of an angel and a heart full of courage. To her family, she is the vision of obedient perfection. But she dares to want that which she has been told can never be hers.Becoming Calder is the story of good versus evil, fear versus bravery, and the truth that the light of love has always found its way into even the darkest of places . . . From the beginning of time, to the end of the world.THIS IS THE FIRST PART IN A TWO-PART SIGN OF LOVE SERIES INSPIRED BY AQUARIUS. THE SECOND PART, FINDING EDEN, IS AVAILABLE NOW. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and graphic sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.