Book picks similar to
Whatever It Takes by L. Maretta


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Against All Odds


Angie McKeon - 2014
    Our hearts broken... Our souls torn to pieces...He was my world, my whole life. My reason for breathing. I had a perfect marriage, a baby on the way, and I felt fulfilled—almost invincible. Until the day life hit, leaving me broken, vulnerable, and alone.She was my life. My ray of hope on the cloudiest day. With her, I thought I had the ultimate safety. A love that would never hurt or betray me. I gave her my heart, my body, and my soul. Until she broke me, destroying every dream and illusion I had about life, love, and marriage.In our grief, we made a mistake. A mistake I'm not sure we can come back from.

Love, Hate & Us


S.P. West - 2017
     K-I-S-S-I-N-G… We grew up thinking that our future was set in stone. We were wrong. Turns out there is a thin line between love and hate. Then there is us. Brooke never imagined a life away from Emmerton. She never pictured a life without her childhood sweetheart, Brody. But when Brody does the unthinkable Brooke’s world is turned upside down. Unable to watch as Brody moves on with his life, she decides to start afresh. Unfortunately, leaving her past behind is not a easy as she thought, especially when her past wants her back. This novel contains adult situations and some swearing.

8 Weeks


Bethany Lopez - 2014
    Despite everyone saying the odds were against them, they got married after graduation and built a life together. Now, six years later, she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. Devastated, her first instinct is to call it quits…After a drunken binge at his best friends’ bachelor party, Cal betrays the one person who has always been there for him, his wife, Shelly. Terrified and realizing she might divorce him, Cal must come up with a way to prove to her that his love is true… Cal asks Shelly for eight weeks. Eight weeks to convince her that their marriage is worth the fight. Will Shelly be able to trust him again, or will their marriage end the way many others do when faced with opposition… In divorce?8 Weeks is book 1 in the Time for Love series, but can be read as a stand alone."8 Weeks was an emotionally gripping read. Seeing this couple fight to keep their relationship alive made me believe in true love, forgiveness and hope." ~ The Autumn Review"A beautifully written love story about betrayal, redemption, and discovering that love really does conquer all.' ~ Tyhada Reads"8 Weeks is an amazing story of how one night can change a persons life. For Cal, Shelly is all he has ever wanted and needed and when he does something to jeopardize their marriage he will have 8 weeks to prove to Shelly that their love is real. Cal is on the road to redemption but will Shelly forgive Cal?" Tee at A Diary of a Book AddictSeries Reading Order:1 Night - Prequel Short8 Weeks21 Days42 Hours 15 Minutes 10 Years3 Seconds7 MonthsFor Eternity - NovellaNight & Day - NovellaTime to Risk

Gravity


L.D. Cedergreen - 2014
    Unable to face his betrayal, she retreats to Priest Lake where her family owns a small cabin. But Gemma finds that she is not the only one hiding away at the lake to avoid an ugly truth. Andrew Monroe was once an essential part of Gemma’s life but tragedy and misunderstanding shattered their bond, separating them. Now twenty years later, Gemma questions the coincidence of their newly intersected paths as she struggles to resist the sparks that ignite between them.Just when Gemma feels that she has found her second chance at happiness, she is faced with a shocking truth as her reality spirals out of control. She can’t deny the powerful force that brought Andrew back into her life anymore than she can defy the same force that now threatens to pull them apart. An emotionally-charged, heart-rending story that will leave you to question the freedom in truth and the existence of fate in its deepest sense.

Locked In


Anna Chastain - 2017
    They are in love, with each other, and their two children. They’ve spent their entire adult life together, happy in the small southern California beach town they call home; until one day Ben comes home and tells Grace he’s leaving. Now Grace is left wondering what happened to her life, to her home, and when exactly did things start to go so wrong. To find out, she turns to the place she didn’t even realize she was missing, the place she grew up, and the place she still considers home. With the help of her family and friends and the ocean, Grace begins to rebuild her life and remind herself where it is she truly wants to be…and, whether or not that life includes her husband. Locked In is a story about love and forgiveness, about riding the waves of life, and it is about how we continually reshape ourselves but never really feel grown up.

Passionate Bid


Tierney O'Malley - 2010
    Forced to do the right thing, he marries her then leaves while she's still in her wedding gown.The fate of a young womanJoanie finds herself facing an altered life after her one night with Julian. She's left alone with a little bug who means the world to her.The spirit of an abandoned wifeAn opportunity to solve Joanie's problems comes when Julian shows up to serve her. She agrees to sign the divorce papers on one condition--he pay her one hundred thousand dollars.The unexpected loveJulian can't believe it. His scrawny bride has grown into a seductive, attractive and feisty woman he can't stop lusting after. And the secret she has kept rocks his world.Publisher's Note: This book was previously released at another publisher. It has been considerably expanded, revised and re-edited for release with Totally Bound Publishing.

The Girl in Seat 24B


Jennifer Peel - 2014
    Her journalist husband and her two adorable children were everything to her. But soon she would find out that her dream life didn't fall in line with her husband's expectations. Left alone to sort out the pieces of her crumbling life, Carly finds strength in her children and her growing relationship with her in-laws. Most importantly, she finds her greatest strength as she builds a friendship with herself. This is a beautiful story of one woman's strength and determination as she finds the will to move forward and be happy while the life she had grown to love crumbles around her. It is a story of a man who has lost his way and may lose it all if he can't find his way back. The Girl in Seat 24B is a story of love and forgiveness.

True


Gwendolyn Grace - 2014
    Life has become more about the demands of their careers and growing family rather than living the life they dreamed together. When another man displays interest in Courtney, and isn't shy about his intentions, one relationship develops while another slowly unravels. Courtney is soon caught in a web of secrets and lies. Deep in her heart she knows Alex has always been her one true love but is it enough to resist temptation?Through a roller-coaster of emotion and not so wise choices, Alex and Courtney must come to realize they want the same thing. Each other.

Gabe


Evan Grace - 2015
    When she graduates from college as valedictorian with a degree in social services, her friend and mentor Jill Swanson offers her a job, but with one condition. She has to take two weeks off and just have fun. Taking the instructions to heart, Jasmine goes to a club called Debauchery and has a sizzling encounter with a sexy stranger. Ex-pro football player Gabriel Johnson is done playing the field. Gabe is tired of meaningless relationships, but when he meets a mysterious, beautiful, blue-eyed blonde at Debauchery and the chemistry is undeniable, he knows he’s finally found the one. What he didn’t expect was for her to freak out and run off. Jasmine thought she made a clean getaway, so needless to say, she’s shocked when she finds herself face to face with the hot guy from the club once again. He’s Jill’s. Half. Brother. Gabe wants to pick up right where they left off and doesn’t waste any time convincing her. Jasmine’s blown away by the intensity of their relationship. How can she control something that makes her feel so wild and uninhibited? But Jasmine can’t handle the pressure. First, she’s confronted with old insecurities. Then suddenly, her brother has a secret he’ll only share with Gabe, the father who abandoned her shows up—at Gabe’s instigation—and a professional tragedy is the last straw. What happens when it all falls apart?Is being with Gabe more than she can handle?

Forgiving Reed


C.A. Harms - 2014
    She had no choice but to move forward and give her son the best life she could. Which meant moving back home. Except there was one problem.Home was where Reed would be...The man who once held her heart, then shattered it into a million pieces. Grieving the loss of Rhetts dad, and learning to forgive those who have betrayed her, Kori was battling it all.But will she ever have the strength to forgive Reed?

Tempt Me Tonight


Toni Blake - 2007
    Then he betrayed her and broke her heart. Now her revenge will be oh-so-sweet . . . and hot!Trish Henderson has returned home to Eden to take care of some family business . . . and some personal business, as well. Though she's achieved remarkable success as a high-powered Chicago attorney, Trish has never forgotten her small-town high school sweetheart, Joe Ramsey, or the devastation of heartbreak.Now she's come face-to-face with the gorgeous sex god Joe has grown into, and she's determined to get him out of her system once and for all—and maybe take a little revenge, too. And this time, she has all the power. After all, where is it written that only men can explore and enjoy a physical relationship without commitment? Her plan: seduce him for just one night, then walk away . . .But there's just one problem. Trish is about to find out that one night with Joe may never be enough . . .

Contingency


Paula Wiseman - 2010
    The email teases, "My whole evening is free again." After an angry confrontation with Chuck, she is left with the broken remains of an eighteen year marriage. Where is God? Bobbi agrees forgiving Chuck is the right thing, the God-honoring thing to do, but it leaves her empty and isolated. Teaching her second-graders is a burden. Taking care of her boys saps all her energy. It seems God Himself has walked away, leaving her to struggle alone. Is God faithful? Bobbi can't deny the transformation in Chuck, but genuine forgiveness requires trust, and trust is a risk she's not willing to take. Can she let go of her deepest, most primal fears and save her marriage?

Wrecking Ball


B.N. Toler - 2014
    A guy who didn’t believe in love at first sight, suddenly believed. A girl who believed a bad boy would always be bad, changed her mind. With Sophia by Brandon’s side, he knew he could conquer the world, and Sophia had never felt more loved or wanted in her life. They were good together.But even the strongest of foundations can be crumbled. Sometimes all it takes is one moment, fleeting as it may be, to crush what was once strong and indestructible, like a wrecking ball. Now Sophia has left and as she rediscovers herself, Brandon is left holding the shattered pieces of their lives, trying to figure out how to put them back together. He loves her.She loves him.All he needs now is to make her remember that.

What Mattered Most


Linda Winfree - 2007
    Houston homicide detective, John OReilly, is torn between two women. One is the woman he's loved without hope for years. The other carries his unborn child. Now, a man bent on revenge wants OReilly to choose, and any choice he makes could cost him everything.Gutsy sheriffs deputy, Lanie Falconetti, is determined not to repeat her mother's mistakes in love. Her no-strings-attached affair with John OReilly leads to an unexpected but joyfully welcomed pregnancy. However, the shadow from John's past threatens not only her chance at happiness but her life and that of her unborn baby as well.Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, violence.

Downfall


Willow Aster - 2019
    Besides hating nearly every word that came out of his mouth, I also drowned with lust every time I looked at him. At times I thought he might feel the same.But nothing prepared me for what his family would make me become.*There will be four books in the Kingdoms of Sin series. Each book can be read as a standalone though there are interconnecting characters.*Book 1: Downfall is LIVE! (Luka and Eden)Book 2: Exposed January 9, 2020 (Mara and Elias)Book 3: Ruin March 5, 2020 (Ava)Book 4: May 7, 2020 (Jadon)