Book picks similar to
UGLY (Complicated Love Book 1) by Amara Kent
abuse
triggers
meh
bullying
Hawthorne & Heathcliff
R.K. Ryals - 2015
Two shoes that did. Intense and introspective, seventeen-year-old Hawthorne Macy knows all about being abandoned. She's felt the stark pain of being left behind by the people who are supposed to love her the most; her parents. Raised by her caring uncle on an old plantation, Hawthorne lives her life on the fringes of her small Southern town. Until she meets his shoe. Senior year, last period English class, and a pair of silent tennis shoes resting next to hers in the back of the room throws Hawthorne into a world she'd learned to stay outside of. His name is Max Vincent, but in her mind, he’s Heathcliff. The handsome eighteen-year-old boy behind the shoes will pull Hawthorne into a passionate and unforgettable adventure of self-discovery during a time when love seems impossible. Shoes can tell a lot about a person. The journey they take you on can tell a lot about how they'll hold up.
Start a Fire
Julia Wolf - 2021
I’ve done the popularity thing at Savage River High, but after two years away, I have no interest in reclaiming my crown.The last time I put myself in the spotlight, I was left in shambles.Unfortunately, my carefully laid plans go to hell when I grab the attention of dark, forbidding, and brutally hot Sebastian Vega. He looks at me like he wants to kill my puppy or eat me alive. Quite possibly both.Sebastian is everywhere I go, and he’s decided I’m the twisted game he wants to play, whether I’m a willing participant or not.The question is...what will I have to lose in order to win?Authors Note: This is a DARK high school bully romance with mature themes and dubious situations that some readers may find offensive. If you’re looking for a nice guy, prince of a hero, this story isn’t for you.
Save Her
Flora Burgos - 2017
Katherine thought they had forever, but Sean was looking for a way out. The day of his high school graduation Sean left the girl he loved and the ranch he resented in his rearview mirror. Katherine was left to put the pieces of her shattered heart back together and figure out a new future. After making his mark on the world Sean has come back to the girl he left behind over a decade ago, and is looking for a way to make her his again. When tragedy rocks the very foundation of Katherine’s life, leaving her with a target on her back, Sean will do anything to keep her safe. But rebuilding the trust he once shared with Katherine isn’t easy, and he doesn’t realize he may have waited too long to come home to the only girl he’s ever loved. If he’s not careful, it may be too late to Save Her.
Reckless Hate
Thandiwe Mpofu - 2019
The results? Reckless Hate & Catastrophe."Westbrook had four boys that ruled my life once.They were hell raisers.Cunning Athletes.Skilled Manipulators.Hateful Assholes.Gorgeous gods.Heartbreakers. . .Only I never counted on them breaking my heart as savagely as they did, sending me away when I needed them the most. Making me spiral into a vicious abyss of darkness where I'm haunted by a pair of frosty blue eyes filled with hate.But now I'm back and this time around, for a reason that makes breathing almost completely impossible.And if they think I won't get revenge for my brother--one of the Blue Boys--then they have another kind of hell to face.Because I'm no longer their little Blue girl from four years ago. . .
Good Girls
Max Henry - 2019
Those who have it all versus those who’d do anything to get it. Caught between two worlds, I no longer know who I am. I was one of the Chosen. Four girls, and four boys, destined to have it all: wealth, status, and a future. Now, I find myself on the other side looking for a way back in. My father’s criminal case meant we lost it all. Forced out of our home, our city, our life, we started anew in a sweet country town called Arcadia. Except after one day as “the new girl” I know there isn’t a single sweet thing about Arcadia High. Trouble brews amongst the student body. Love, lies, and betrayal. And when the consequences spill out the decorative gates? These spoilt country kids won’t know what hit them after the city come to collect.
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+.
King
L.J. Woods - 2020
Or so he thought. He might be the King but I won’t be his pawn.—Eden - the other side of the tracks full of elite hacks.This town is as high-class as he is but it’s far from a garden.Too many thorns. Way too many pricks. The Academy alone has plenty of snakes, all serving one god. Damien King. The devil himself. He’s as seductive as his smirk. A sinful delight.And I should know better than to eat from this fruit. He wants to break me. Humiliate me. Make me buckle under his power.But I’m not an easy target so now I’m his biggest enemy. The leaders of the pack think they’re in charge, and I’ll play their game.Damien has Isaac and Christian - other royals in his kingdom,but I’ve got guts and I’m not afraid to play dirty.Secrets sit behind that heart-pounding gaze and I’m going to use them.Time’s up class-holes.Checkmate.—KING is a full-length 85,000-word new adult/high school bully romance novel with mature themes. This enemies-to-lovers romance is recommended for readers over 18. This is NOT a standalone but if you’re a fan of alpha possessive bad boys, this book is for you!
Hold On to Me
Lucia Franco - 2015
He’s a sweet talking Georgia boy, rough around the edges with an irresistible smile. John sets his sights on the new girl, determined to show her what his small town is about. But she isn’t as accepting as he thought and she rejects him at every turn.The beauty and boldness of Alyssa Winters stirs John’s blood. She quickly works her way under his skin and becomes a constant in his life – his best friend, his other half. As the attraction between the two friends grows, John wants more. She pushes, he pulls. When one reckless night of fun wreaks havoc on John, Alyssa risks it all to ease his pain, giving him the one thing he desires most...her. But John’s sadness runs too deep, the damage, irreparable.He runs, she falls.John must work to prove himself. Despite everything, Alyssa is the one person he doesn't want to live without. The stakes are high, and he’s willing to bet it all. Even if it means he’s left to suffer alone.
Untouchable
Ivy SmoakIvy Smoak - 2020
Everyone knows Matthew Caldwell.Charming.Gorgeous.Wealthy.And way out of my league.So when he invites me into the lifestyle of the rich and famous?I agree in a heartbeat.But behind all the glitz and glam?Secrets.Lies.Betrayal.All hidden behind a perfect smile and a tailored jacket.I should have known better than to pretend to belong in his world...
Rival
Ketley Allison - 2020
Recommended for readers 17 and over. It is NOT a standalone and ends on a cliffhanger with a happy-for-now (but a happily ever after will happen … in the end.)
Josh & Hannah
Lynda Chance - 2013
She's perfect and new . . . but she's a McIntyre. She's from the richest family in the county, and he's a Turner, from the wrong side of the proverbial tracks. And to make matters worse, there's no love lost between their families.New Adult 92K words / suitable for 18+ AN ALPHA-MALE IN THE MAKING
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.
Innocents
Mary Elizabeth - 2014
Searching for freedom, she finds it in the delinquent down the hall. The troublemaker with summer-sky blue eyes knows he should stay away, but can’t resist the blissful wonder who makes his house a home.She’s a hopeless romantic. He’s just hopeless.She’s his reason, but he might not catch her when she falls.She loves him. He loves her crazy.This is what happens when a love made of secrets is kept with rules instead of promises.
Sometimes Never
Cheryl McIntyre - 2012
She’s content with her current no-strings-attached extracurricular activity with the lead singer of her band. She’s never believed in love and commitment.Mason starts his eighth school in five years anticipating nothing more than the usual—boring classes, fighting more than making friends, and girls happily willing to succumb to his easy smile. He’s never put much stock into love at first sight—until he sees her.Regardless of their painful pasts, Hope and Mason discover that sometimes never can become forever.
*This is a mature young adult. Recommended for 17+ due to sensitive subject material, harsh language, and sexual situations.
Distorted Love
T.L. Smith - 2018
Hated him from the age of eighteen. He disappeared at the age of nineteen. We started off as enemies, then fast became lovers. But our story isn’t a happily ever after. It was a story of a king and a peasant. Can you guess which I was? I knew we weren’t meant to be. You see, he fell in love with her first. He loved me last.I'm not someone's second choice.Not even for the boy who stole my heart. I'm someone's first. Now, I just have to remember that.