Book picks similar to
Bittersweet Catastrophe by Maureen Mayer


romance
contemporary-romance
new-adult
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On the Rocks


Sawyer Bennett - 2014
    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.

For One Night (Redemption Hwy 10) (The Daly's Book 3)


Leaona Luxx - 2019
     That’s all this was supposed to be. I came to Sin City with my best friend to celebrate my much-needed divorce. For once, I want to be the one with no care about tomorrow. That’s when he catches my eye. I watch as he works the room, and the women in it. He’s everything I hate in a man, but the epitome of what we all want. Sexy. Confident to a fault, and a smirk that will melt your panties. He’s everything my ex-husband is. As our eyes meet, I decide to give him a dose of his own medicine, show him how it feels to be used. Tonight, I’ll be the woman everyone stares at when she enters the room. The one I am in the boardroom, who takes no prisoners. I’ll be the one to bring him to his knees and leave him just as fast. I’ll be that woman. For One Night

Can't Let Go


Michelle Brewer - 2013
    Through their grief, they are forced to confront the feelings they once had for each other and ask the question…is it finally time to let go?

Rumor Has It


Elisabeth Grace - 2013
    Every man in your life abandons you, but who knew a one-minute clip of your latest doomed relationship would brand you a slut, prevent you from getting your perfect job, and force you to keep doing the one thing you swore you’d never do again…live with your mother.But staying with mom and her latest boy-toy (is this husband number four or five?) until your life turns around might not be all bad. Especially when you fall – literally – at the feet of a sexy, green-eyed stranger who offers you freedom and a life of luxury on a gold-rimmed platter.There’s only one little problem – the man of your dreams is none other than Mason Nash, the latest hip-hop star busting up the music charts. Fame and fortune are his calling cards and he’s vying to steal the show on a new reality TV series that will catapult him into mainstream stardom. Hello spotlight.The man behind the famous persona is perfect for Ellie in every way, but can she overcome the ugly pitfalls that come with Mason's celebrity status? Or will she be forced to choose between the man she loves and the independent life she longs for? After all, fame and fortune aren’t always what they seem and not all publicity is good publicity…***Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.***

Heartbreaker


Kat Bastion - 2016
    Simple.Only instead of Darren Cole becoming her one-night stand, he taunts her with a challenge. Then while she’s trying to best him at his own game, he turns out to be the last thing she’s prepared for: someone she wants to keep.Which means all he can ever be…is a friend.Darren Cole never allows a girl to get close—not close enough to matter.Then storms in Kiki Michaelson, a beautiful, fearless temptation that rocks his world off-balance. But he fights their attraction, unwilling to gamble something physical with their close ties. Until the passionate sculptor exposes her heart and breaks his wide open.In that moment it becomes clear: she could never be just a friend.Sometimes what you run from…is exactly what you need.***HEARTBREAKER is a standalone, full-length new adult romance told in dual POV. Due to mature themes and adult language, this book is for those 18 and older.***

Where We Fell


Amber L. Johnson - 2013
    With one diagnosis, his life suddenly has an expiration date. Confused by the numbness he feels upon hearing the news, he decides that he needs some time to come to terms with it. One decision to visit his favorite diner causes him to unwittingly put himself directly in the sights of a girl that just may give him a reason to fight - and to live.Because there's a difference between living and just being alive.

You Make Me


Erin McCarthy - 2014
    Then he left without a word. The betrayal devastated Caitlyn and made her vow to forget the compelling bad boy. But forgetting his sensual touch and their deep all-consuming friendship is easier said than done. Isn’t the guy she needs… Determined to move on, in college Caitlyn has risen above her small town impoverished roots and has joined a sorority, reinvented her appearance, and landed the right boyfriend. Pre-law major and frat president, Ethan, is thoughtful and always laughing, and he makes her feel happy, calm. He also gives her the social acceptance she craves. But the perfect world she tried so hard to attain is ripped apart when Heath appears one night out of nowhere. Caitlyn remembers all the reasons why she loves him, even if they don’t make sense to anyone but her. Out of the military, Heath is as brooding and intense as ever, and he is determined not only to win her back, but to exact revenge on everyone who kept him from her… And when one love allows her to breathe, but the other feels as essential to her life as air, how does she choose between them?

A Beautiful Kind of Love


Ellie Wade - 2015
    Why? Because I have one and his name is Jax Porter.I have known Jax my whole life and I have loved him with every breath I’ve ever taken. The fact that we were born a mere month apart to mothers that are best friends has made us inseparable since birth.What we have is so rare, one would think our story would be written, our fate sealed. But, unfortunately that’s not how life works. Life offers us many choices that can turn destiny into chance.I now find myself heading toward a destination that I could have never imagined and I have to figure out where to go from here. Will the choices that have been made change our path forever or will fate find its way?

Monday


E.L. Todd - 2016
     In fate. Or in soul mates. But I believe in Hawke. My life has never been whole since my parents left forever. I have my brother, someone I can barely tolerate most of the time, and I have my best friend, Marie. And I have myself. But when Hawke walks into my life, there’s an immediate connection. Our eyes lock and an unspoken conversation is exchanged. For the first time in my life, I actually feel something. But he doesn’t. He keeps me at arm’s length and pretends there’s nothing between us when there clearly is. I’m not the kind of girl to wait around for any guy, so I don’t. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t in the back of my mind. Our paths cross again in a way neither one of us expect and it changes everything. Was it destiny that made it happen? Was it fate? Or was it something else?

Gentry Boys


Cora Brent - 2015
    A set of fraternal triplets born to a depraved family, they were rough, sexy and wild as wolves..." DRAW They called us ‘those white trash Gentry boys’ until we believed that’s what we were. Our people squatted at the edge of a hellhole prison town for generations. The childhood we endured was the stuff of nightmares. I’d learned early on that my brothers, Chase and Creed, were the only people on earth worth my time. They all told us we were bad, that we’d always be bad. The horrors of the past have scarred my soul. But now I need to be better. For her. RISK Violence had always found us Gentrys but this time I’d put the price on my own head. It was my cross to bear. No flinching allowed. There was only room for me, my brothers, and the resolve to survive. That’s all there ever had been. There was certainly no reason for more than than a quick and dirty time with any female, no matter how much this sassy southern girl with a killer body turned my head around. I shouldn’t hold on to Truly Lee for more than a few hours. I shouldn’t even think about it. This thing could finish us both. It doesn’t matter. She’s all I want. GAME Gentry men aren’t supposed to be very bright. We’re big. We’re brutal. Women can’t wait to invite us inside. I know I can have any one of them I want any time I want. It seems unlikely that some bad-tempered chick and her snotty attitude would keep my interest but here it is. Stephanie has no idea what she does to me. I want that girl in more ways than I can even talk about. It should have been enough to have her and be done with it. But no matter how volatile we are together, it’s never enough. To hell with anyone who objects. I’m not letting her go. FALL How many women have I ruined? Hell if there’s any point in counting. Only once did I ever do something unforgivable and the consequence crushed my soul. Maybe that’s why I remain here, in the barren desert wasteland occupied by the worst of my degenerate family. This is a prison I’ve inflicted on myself. Into my purgatory walks Jenny; feisty, beautiful, not much more than a girl herself. No one decent should want a thing to do with me. I told her that. She didn’t listen. **Also includes an excerpt from HOLD, Book #5 in the Gentry Boys series. This series is intended for mature audiences. It contains explicit language, sexual situations, and violence that may be upsetting to some.

Butterfly Dreams


A. Meredith Walters - 2015
    Meredith Walters tells the story of a troubled young woman and the unforgettable guy who teaches her to live—and love—to the fullest. She’s waiting to die. . . . Corin Thompson is paralyzed by her obsession with mortality. Having lost both of her parents, she is terrified by the idea that she too will die young, and she loses control at any sign of illness. But when Corin connects with someone who has survived a very real brush with death, she begins to see the world in a whole new way. He’s learning to live. . . . As Corin struggles under the weight of her neuroses, Beckett Kingsley is attempting to rebuild a life that feels all too temporary. With the ever-present threat of heart failure never far from his mind, he just wants to make the most of whatever time he has left. And that means pursuing the girl he never expected to find. Together, Corin and Beckett finally learn to let go of their fears and take solace in everyday pleasures. Who knows what the future holds? After all, nothing lasts forever—the only promise they have is right now.

We Were Here


Daisy Prescott - 2016
    
This is the story of seven friends. We met in college, completely free for the first time in our lives and determined to enjoy every minute of it. For four years, we gossiped and flirted, partied and road-tripped. We were inseparable. Each of us has our own story of falling in or out of love. Of finding out who we are. Of growing up. We thought we knew everything. We knew nothing. We Were Here is where the Modern Love Stories begins, in a standalone that perfectly captures the humor, angst, and sheer chaos of college.

Hope Breaks


Alice Bello - 2013
    She has until the end of the week to come up with a breathtaking shot or she’ll be replaced. And there’s a sudden model shortage; they’re out of season.The old, depressing problem: she hasn’t had a date, sex or a relationship in over two years.She also has one hell of a headache.Hope finds the cures for her two problems during a search through Wal-Mart for a painkiller to kill her headache.Turns out the aisles of the retail giant are rampant with hot young model worthy specimens. And when her trusty Ford Taurus breaks down in the parking lot, a hunky mechanic in the Tire and Lube Express department fixes more than just her car.Seemingly her troubles are good as gone…but then her new, fabulous cover is rejected, and in a desperate moment she has to choose between keeping her job and keeping the man she’s just starting to fall in love with.

Wicked Games


Jessica Clare - 2011
    She's just not the survival type. But when her boss offers her a spot on the show and the opportunity of a lifetime, she packs her bags and heads to the tropics to be a contestant. Once in the game, though, it's clear that Abby's in over her head. No one's more competitive than sexy, delicious and arrogant Dean Woodall. Sure, he's clever, strong, good at challenges, and has a body that makes her mouth water. He also hates Abby just as much as she hates him. That's fine with her; she'll just ignore the jerk. But the rules of Endurance Island are working against them. Abby and Dean are teamed up & alone on the beach. It's either work together, or go home. Stuck with no one's company but their own, they learn they might just make a good team after all. And Abby learns that with just a little bit of kindling, the flames of hate can quickly turn to flames of passion. This book features enemies, lovers, enemies who become lovers, and lots and lots of tropical heat. Length: 59,000 words

Thin Love


Eden Butler - 2014
    It isn't supposed to leave you bleeding. Kona pushed, Keira pulled, and in their wake, they left behind destruction. She sacrificed everything for him. It wasn't enough. But the wounds of the past can never be completely forgotten and still the flame remains, slumbers between the pleasure of yesterday and the thought of what might have been. Now, sixteen years later, Keira returns home to bury the mother who betrayed her, just as Kona tries to hold onto what remains of his NFL career with the New Orleans Steamers. Across the crowded bustle of a busy French Market, their paths collide, conjuring forgotten memories of a consuming touch, skin on skin, and the still smoldering fire that begs to be rekindled. When Kona realizes the trifecta of betrayal—his, Keira's and those lies told to keep them apart—his life is irrevocably changed and he once again takes Keira down with him into the fire that threatens to ignite them both.