When she’s six she meets her new neighbor Noah Sinclair. The pair quickly become best friends. He looks after her and when they're teenagers their relationship turns romantic. They didn’t account for Jules’ malicious mother stepping in and tearing them apart. Leaving Jules broken hearted. Present Day:Jules is going for her master's degree and working as exotic dancer at a high-end gentleman’s club to pay for it. She lives with her best friend from boarding school Ellie, who’s also a dancer. When her boss informs them that the club has been rented out for a bachelor party she thinks it will be just like any other night until she walks out on stage and sees Noah Sinclair. The boy that broke his promises and her heart. To make things worse he’s the bachelor. He tries to get her to talk to him but she’s stronger now and blows him off. But he wants answers too. Throw in a crazy fiancé, a couple of hilarious best friends and enjoy the ride. Will Noah and Jules get their second chance or will the past decide the future?

     Heading home always stirs up mixed emotions for Laney Calhoun. Twelve years ago she left for graduate school, broken-hearted. She's found professional success, but positive personal relationships have proved elusive. Running into her ex-boyfriend fans flames she thought long extinguished, and causes a renewed interest in love. Not with Kyle, of course. Never again. But as sparks fly and items of clothing disappear, she scrambles to keep her emotions in check. ...Now he has a second chance to get it right. Kyle Nixon let Laney slip away once. Their chemistry together is undeniable, but steamy sex is not enough to convince her to let him back into her heart. Even if she did trust him again, her career as a paediatric surgeon is five hundred kilometers away from the hometown that he loves, and the life he once chose over her. Come home to Wardham. Come home to love.

    Not even close. The things she got up to in college would cause her parents to fall off their pedestals in shock. Home for the summer vacation, Kate settles in for a long, boring break in the tiny backwater of Winter with folks who still treat her like she's twelve.Then Ben Parker arrives and suddenly Winter gets interesting. He's hot, mysterious and good with his hands. Kate falls for him instantly, but her cop father warns her to stay away. But how can she stay away from someone as compelling as Ben? Someone who thinks she's perfect just the way she is?When Ben's secrets catch up to him, not only is Kate's heart in danger of being broken, but Ben's entire future could be ruined. RUIN is a new adult contemporary romance intended for mature readers. It contains strong language and sexual situations.To read a long excerpt of RUIN and discover what Ben has tattooed on his shoulder, check out C.J.'s website: http://www.cjscottbooks.com/2013/08/r...

    A great job, amazing friends, and a loving fiancé. Traveling to Las Vegas for her bachelorette party, she never expects to come across someone who rocks her world the way Ryan Kraft does. Though they only share a few hours together, the connection she feels with him is undeniable. Thinking that her feelings for him may be cold feet she brushes it off and attempts to focus on her fiancé and their impending nuptials. Heartbroken by her fiancé only days before their wedding, she finds herself needing to escape, needing to hide from reality. Though Alani knows that Ryan lives in Grand Forks, North Dakota, she never thought their paths would cross again while she is there.Their friendship changes to something more with a good night kiss. Needing to be with Ryan, she leaves her old life in New Jersey behind and moves halfway across the country. As they journey together in a new relationship Alani has to adapt to life in a new city, new job, as well as dealing with Ryan's ex-girlfriend Stephanie, who is waiting for the perfect moment to get Ryan back. But will her fiancé let Alani walk away from him without a fight? Will Alani's love for Ryan be enough for her to stay with him through turmoil? Or will Stephanie’s secret tear them apart?

    I go and screw mine up by meeting the most gorgeous guy I've seen in five years while talking to my cat. But Andrew Crowner is far from judgmental. By the end of our interaction, he has me smitten by his easy manner and kind smile. And from the way his eyes linger on me before he leaves, I start to think that maybe I’ve caught his attention, too. I let myself believe that luck may finally be on my side. That is, until I stumble on my roommate, and her overnight guest: Spencer Ashford. Lean, tattooed, and sexy as sin, Spencer is exactly the type I need to avoid. I would have no trouble with that... were it not for his swift and inexplicable interest in me. Suddenly, I go from a girl with next-to-no experience with boys to one caught in the crosshairs of two completely different men. Andrew's interest is wholesome and sweet. Spencer's is edgy and raw. My choice should be easy. But there are always complications, and sometimes, matters of the heart take the least expected turns.

    Newly divorced, Julia returns to the small hometown she swore she?d left forever. She plans on enjoying the cheap rental a friend offers and staying there just long enough to figure out her next steps in life. But before long, Julia realizes she's made a big mistake. A decade ago, Micah Anderson promised Julia forever but broke her heart right before she left for college. Now, Julia's back in town, and he's going to have to tell her the truth about why he left her ? it's impossible to hide a twelve-year-old child when you live in such a small town. Can Julia forgive Micah and start anew? Should she try to make a relationship work if Micah's past becomes a threat to her safety? Should she follow her dreams if it means giving up on a second chance with her first love?

    In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side. Now, when their lives intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago. But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and do they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart? Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have.

    The city of young lovers, dark secrets, and intoxicating new desire… I thought I knew what I wanted in life. I thought my destiny was set. Then I met him, and everything changed. Raphael is bold, passionate, and seductive. He sees something in me I never dreamed possible, and now he's determined to show me a world beyond rules -- a dance without limits. I want to trust him, but I'm scared. Because I know once I fall, there'll be no going back. An innocent dancer. A mysterious stranger. As Annalise is drawn deeper into the sensual delights of Rome, she'll question everything she believed about her future. But with opening night looming, can she find the strength to risk it all? And will she be forced to choose between her one true love, ballet, and the new passion in her heart?** This book contains adult content. 17+ **

    Dating boys, or even just KISSING them, was something I simply hadn't gotten around to. And honestly, even after finally leaving home, jumping into some version of romance still wasn't among my top priorities. That was, of course, before Kyle Freeman came back into my life. His idea of a relationship may not exactly align with mine, but we can work around that, right? For the first time, I'm giving some serious thought to breaking a few of my unspoken rules...KYLEI'm sure there are a lot of viable theories that could explain the root cause of my aversion to relationships (aside from the Biblical variety, that is). Too bad I've never had much interest in exploring the why's and how's of that particular aspect of my psyche. But then came Tawny Read. Now, suddenly, I have much bigger concerns than which parties are likely to have the highest girl-to-guy ratios - like convincing Tawny that I'm capable of being good enough for her, for example...Contains mature adult themes, including strong language and explicit sexuality.

    Instead, he got on that bus and took my heart with him.That was seventeen years ago.I moved on. Marriage. Kids. White picket fence. Everything I ever wanted, but my husband betrayed me and I was left once again.Alone, penniless, and with two boys, I had no choice but to return to Tennessee. He wasn’t supposed to be there. I should’ve been safe. However, fate has a way of stepping in.This time around, the tables are turned. It’s my decision. Second chances do exist, but I don’t know if we can repair what’s already been broken . . .

    Once, she loved being the Queen of Flirts, loved playing hard-to-get and, eventually, getting caught. Now, she can’t get enough distance between her and all the boys in the world. Well,all the boys except for Park Jin. Park is like no guy she’s ever met. He’s a 20-year-old Nordic god with a strange accent, or at least that’s one of Violet’s better descriptions of him. Most times, when they’re, literally, fighting like cats and dogs, she prefers to think of him as the blond gorilla, he’s a foul-mouthed jerk who calls her a banshee, a midget, and every other ugly nickname that comes to his nasty mind, goes out of his way to be rude to Violet, and, best of all, he hates girls. Both Park and Violet carry scars in their hearts, scars that they’re desperate to hide. In each other, they find the unlikeliest allies, a way to keep themselves apart from everyone else and, more importantly, from ever falling in love again. Yet when they’re not on each other’s throats Park and Violet can’t help succumbing to the intense chemistry between them. As kisses outnumber hisses, there’s a question that’s getting harder and harder for the two to ignore. Is it time to risk their hearts again?

    I hate his stupid, laughing eyes, and his stupid, magnificent body, and the stupid way he looks at me and takes away all of the not-completely-insane parts of myself. The few I have left.I hate everything about him, but I can’t ignore the truth lurking underneath the haze of my anger, beating its unmistakable rhythm: I want to stand in his fire. I want to be consumed.After a tragic crime leaves her physically and emotionally damaged, eighteen-year-old Stella Granger struggles to come to terms with the collapse of her idyllic life. Desperate for anonymity, she escapes to Greenview College, exchanging charity balls and pastel cardigans for frat parties and black leather boots. Three years later, she’s finally managed to put the pieces of herself back together. Holden Evans, her absurdly handsome psychology professor, might be the most annoying person she’s ever met, but he’s a welcome distraction. In fact, Stella can almost forget that Luke Dixon, her brother’s best friend and the man who saved her life, ever existed. Luke, the rebellious son of a British billionaire, hasn’t forgotten about her. When a chance meeting threatens to unearth long-suppressed secrets and desires, the battle lines are drawn. The universe may have conspired to bring them together, but Stella’s gotten pretty sick of near-death experiences and she doesn’t want to play Luke’s treacherous games.However, she may have underestimated one tiny truth—need beats want. Every single time.

    Now he’s returned home to the sand and salty breeze of the North Carolina Outer Banks so he can open The Last Call, a beach bar nestled among the dunes of the Atlantic.Five years ago, Gabby Ward drunkenly threw herself at her best friend’s brother, only to have her young heart crushed. Hunter is back but Gabby is content to stay far away from him and his dangerously charming ways. Gabby’s well-schemed plans to ignore Hunter go up in flames when he presents her an offer she simply can’t refuse. Working together day in and day out proves problematic for two reasons—Gabby realizes her feelings for Hunter are still very much alive, while Hunter struggles to break through to Gabby’s cold heart. What starts out as a mutual business arrangement soon turns into a passion that neither can deny.But when the pro surfing tour comes knocking and Hunter has a chance to reclaim his former glory, hard choices lie ahead for both of them.Choices that could destroy what they have built or take them further than they could ever dare to hope in their second chance at romance.

    The end of their relationship marked the beginning of a painful solitary journey for her. Though she makes places beautiful with her work as an interior designer, the rest of her life is anything but beautiful – it’s slowly pulling her under.Brady, a contractor, is swiftly building his business into an empire. Work is a faithful companion that never lets him down like Palmer did. When he sees women now, it’s on his terms. And his terms are simple: just sex. He won’t let a woman break him again.Palmer is barely holding it together when she and Brady are unexpectedly paired on a project after a year apart. The pull between them is stronger than ever, but the fallout from their reconnection leaves them both wondering if maybe some things are better left unsaid.

    Amelia stole his heart…Only to break it.When fate puts Merrick and Amelia back together, it doesn’t come without a price- it comes with vengeance, determination, and putting his life on the line for the one he loves. But, how much is Merrick willing to put on the line to have a future with no reason to hide? In the end, fate will decide...Who's permanent.Some words, a disclaimer, from Merrick Drake, himself:I’m just going to put it out there…I’m sorry I’m a f*cking pussy at the beginning of this book. It isn’t any secret, Amelia burned me bad—like motherf*cking, stab me in the heart, leave me lying there by myself bad, but dammit, I wouldn’t change anything if I was ever given the chance. You’ll see that Amelia is damn near perfect and worth every second of misery she put me through. If you find yourself saying, “Jesus Christ, this guy needs to grow a set!” I don’t blame you, but just keep reading. I redeem myself pretty damn well, if I do say so myself, but beware, because holy $hit do things get intense! Enjoy reading, my friends—my life is a whole clusterf*ck of crazy, but somehow it all comes full circle by the end. Merrick Drake*New Adult, Suspense, Contemporary novel*