Books like 'Messy Strokes'
Readers who enjoyed Messy Strokes by Kelsie Rae also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary new adult single-mother friends-benefits secret child second chances bad boys cold hero college betrayal
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Entice by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times Bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes the third book in the bestselling Eagle Elite Series... “As burns this saint, so burns my soul. I enter alive, and I will have to get out dead.” Chase Winter let the love of his life slip through his fingers and into the hands of his best friend and mafia boss of the Abandanato family...Categorized as:
bad boys new adult college secret child mafia contemporary friends to lovers arranged marriage -
Ember by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsINKED PROTECTOR REUNITES WITH A SINGLE MOTHER.Rocco Caldo is tall, dark, and handsome, but not interested in love. Loyal to a fault, he can’t turn away an old friend in need or a beautiful woman on the run…especially when they have unfinished business.Rebel Bishop is a single mom, looking for shelter, not a handout... -
Dillon by Siobhan Davis
A companion novel to Say I'm the One, Let Me Love You, and Hold Me Close. Growing up in Ireland, I always felt like something was missing. I had an idyllic childhood, yet I was never happy.After Mum explained about the adoption, I constantly questioned my existence. Despite being surrounded by love, I struggle to accept it or reciprocate... -
Hearts at Play by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsBrianna Heart has a six-year old daughter and a twelve-year plan to keep her life as simple as possible until Layla turns eighteen. That means swearing off relationships and the drama that goes along with them, working two jobs, and being the best damn mother she can be... -
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Holding You by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsLauren Reynolds wanted only two things in life—to run her father’s horse breeding business and Colt Mathews. Fearing Colt would take her position within the family business, she tried to push him far away from her heart. When life could no longer keep Lauren and Colt apart, their two worlds became one. Every second of every moment, they spent together... -
Loving You by Allie Everhart
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsSince meeting Garret on her first night at college, Jade’s had to overcome many obstacles to be with him, including interference from Garret’s father. Now, months later, it seems that Mr. Kensington has finally accepted Jade dating his son, but the reason for that is unclear. After what Jade witnessed at the Kensington mansion, she’s not sure what his acceptance of her means... -
Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWolfe Emerson is notorious for two things: being an absolute beast in a boxing ring and being a voluntary mute. His story remains unspoken and he prefers to live his life in silence. That is, until, his world is turned upside down when he meets someone who is louder than life... -
The One I Want by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsFrom USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Siobhan Davis comes an emotional, angsty, new adult, stand-alone romance about a woman torn between two great loves. We thought we were forever, but fate had other plans… I never intended to fall in love. This girl had goals and guys were an unwelcome distraction...Categorized as:
new adult college second chances betrayal contemporary friends to lovers angst love triangle -
The Rage by Jaci J.
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThey say love comes in all shapes and sizes, and is found in the most unexpected places. I wasn't looking for anything when I knocked on that big, wooden door, but what I got was a rude ass, leather wearing biker who made me feel, and want things I never thought were possible. Rampage is crude, rude, and tough. He’s everything I’m not, but he’s everything I need... -
Dangerous Fling by Crystal Kaswell
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe's her rock star crush, her go-to fantasy, and he's offering to make all her dreams come true... Rock star Malcolm Strong is used to being in control. Of the band. Of his feelings. Of the woman he has tied to his bed. He never gets close enough to get hurt. He never wants to. Until Lacey. The sassy brunette is working on the band's latest music video... -
Timeless by Erin Noelle
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsRe-releasing on Jan 19, 2020 with new covers and edits Six years. Two People. One love. After the long awaited wedding of her dreams, Scarlett Templeton, along with her rockstar husband and their five year old twins, are finally putting down roots and settling into their first suburban home...Categorized as:
new adult bad boys second chances college christian rockstars contemporary length-novella -
Wreck My Plans by Kelsey Clayton
My name is Carter Trayland,And I really screwed up.I should’ve ended things before they began.Instead, I wound up in a twisted love triangle,One that I never wanted to be a part of.The wrong choice sent my life on a whirlwind.A woman I forced myself to love is dead.My best friend was nearly blamed for her murder.And the one I’ve always wanted, now wants revenge... -
The Trouble With Her by Kat T. Masen
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIt was supposed to be a holiday, a trip of a lifetime to discover myself. But the truth is, I was running from life back home. And away from my best friend.Andrew ‘Andy’ Baker is also family. At least—that’s how we were raised.Then, I fell in love with life in London.And I met Prince Charming. It all just fell into place until it didn’t.But I took a vow... -
See You Again by Heidi McLaughlin
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA powerful love story of second chances for two people who are both running from the past, by the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl. It’s been fifteen years since Brooklyn Hewett has stepped foot in Southport. After the accident that took Austin—the love of her life—away from her, Brooklyn fled, hoping to leave the pain behind her for good... -
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Butterfly by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDrunken brawls. One-night stands.No-show interviews. Toilet-papering my hoity-toity neighbor’s house.Insulting my fans. Trashing hotel rooms.What’s it take to become public enemy number one?I just told you.I’ve done all that and more.My poor conduct got me on the Celebs Behaving Badly listand ultimately ruined my career.From the world’s number-one popstar to world’s most hated.That’s me...Categorized as:
new adult bad boys college contemporary alpha male rockstars possessive hero length-medium -
The Sins That Bind Us by Geneva Lee
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI wasn’t given a choice. Not when I did my first line of cocaine. Not when I became a single mother. But I changed, and every decision I’ve made was to protect myself and my son from my weaknesses—and my past. Until Jude came along and made me question everything, even my own secrets. The sins I carry with me can never be discovered... -
Here Without You by Tammara Webber
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsEveryone has secrets. Some are buried so deep, their existence is forgotten. But a secret never told can turn into a lie. And in love, a lie is one thing: Poison. Reid's in love with Dori, though she hasn't told her parents that she's fallen hard for the guy they'd forbidden her to see... -
Sure Shot by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome to Fort Lauderdale... where the days are hot and the Knights are hotter!I gave up everything for hockey… even my chance at love. But relocating to Florida to be the starting goalie for the Lauderdale Knights is still the best decision I’d ever made. I have everything… except someone to share it with... -
Watch and Learn by Rebel Shaw
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNateAll I wanted to do was be me, for one night. I didn’t want to be the number one quarterback in the league. I just wanted to be Nate. I couldn’t tell you exactly what made me stop at that dive bar on the outskirts of town, but it changed my life.Our connection was instant and undeniable. Our night together was explosive, which led to another, and then another. No strings...Categorized as:
second chances friends-benefits new adult sports contemporary friends to lovers humor length-medium -
Face-Off at the Altar by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMarkus Reeves is sucking. Big-time. Toiling away on a minor-league hockey team hundreds of miles away from home, he's watching his dreams of an NHL career fade away. Add in the lingering guilt he has over the dramatic demise of his relationship with college girlfriend, Mekena, and he's a mess on and off the ice. But the family of his heart, the Sinclairs, won't let Markus suffer any longer... -
Silver Fox's Secret Baby by Ajme Williams
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMy boss stabbed my heart when he shipped me across country to fix a mistake we made.He slept with me, knowing that I was his daughter’s best friend.That jerk has no idea I’ve kept a secret from him for years.He doesn’t know there’s a little boy whose eyes look just like his.If only my disappearance was permanent, he would remain a secret.But I’m back in New York... -
James by Chantal Fernando
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsJames Steele leads a complicated life, a life that makes it hard to get close to people. James’ secrets caused him to lose the woman of his dreams, Sasha Crawford. James has now moved on with Tatiana, a lovely woman whom he works with, someone who understands his reasons for secrecy. When Sasha comes back into the picture James will have to make a decision...Categorized as:
bad boys second chances secret child college betrayal contemporary alpha male possessive hero -
The Roommate Route by Mariah Dietz
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsUSA Today Bestselling Author Mariah Dietz Delivers a delicious and page-turning, forced-proximity, found family, standalone sports romance you don't want to miss!Nolan Payne, wide receiver for the Camden Knights is equal parts impulsive and reckless, and utterly addictive.He’s also my new roommate.My orderly existence implodes when Nolan proposes…. a situation... -
In Pieces by Danielle Pearl
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThree years ago she was left in pieces . . . Most college freshmen love the newfound freedom of living on campus, but none of them craves it like Beth Caplan. One ill-fated night when she was fifteen left her locked in a posh prison of private tutors. It's for the best , everyone said, and maybe it was...Categorized as:
new adult college friends-benefits contemporary angst friends to lovers siblings-bff length-medium -
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Wish I May by Lexi Ryan
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsNew adult romance from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Unbreak Me . Due to sexual content and heavy subject matter, this book is intended for mature readers. ~ ~ ~ Nothing about her says cute. Everything about her says sex. And mine. I never thought I'd see her again. Didn't think I wanted to... -
Rules for Dating Your Ex by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIf your ex arrives in your hometown eighteen months after you walked out on him while you were eight months pregnant, follow this short list of rules before you give him a second chance.Rule #1 – Don’t stand in the way of your brothers who want to rough him up.Rule #2 – Don’t meet him for coffee and agree to allow him to meet your daughter...Categorized as:
second chances new adult single-mother humor sports contemporary soccer length-medium -
Saving Della Ray by Georgia Le Carre
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDella Everybody said, stay away from Gage West. He was trouble. Big trouble. One look at his big, black monster of a bike and the wild tattoos that snaked out of his leather jacket onto his hands and neck and I knew they were dead right. The last thing I needed was more trouble. I had enough just paying my bills and taking care of my little niece... -
A Friendly Wager: A Secret Baby, Fake Engagement Romance by Ajme Williams
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy next-door neighbor is wifey material .Calm down... I’m not proposing to her.A fake engagement will do for now.My mother won’t get off my back.As a star hockey player love isn’t on the cards for me.Not now, not ever.I had a one-night stand with Ruby a decade ago.But that shouldn’t come in the way of our ruse.I doubt she misses the way I made her shake when I took her v-card...Categorized as:
new adult second chances secret child contemporary sports friends to lovers length-medium -
Just One Dare by Carly Phillips
A one-night stand with no names exchanged.Four years later, she comes face to face with her baby’s father again.Aurora Michaels isn’t the same girl she was that spring night. No longer homeless and living in the back room of a diner where she worked, she’s now a member of the wealthy Kingston family. She has her daughter, a career and has adjusted to her new normal... -
Dare to Love by S.B. Alexander
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWomen want him. Guys want to be him. Sexy, confident, college playboy, Kelton Maxwell has his future right in the palm of his hands. He’s got one foot in the door at Harvard Law. All he needs now is one prestigious internship at a highfalutin law firm to seal the deal. Nothing can stand in his way. Until..Categorized as:
new adult college second chances contemporary friends to lovers vengeance male-pov length-medium -
It's Always Been You by Jacob Parker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLove is quickly becoming my least favorite four-letter word.I let a girl into my heart once, and she nearly destroyed me.The last time I saw her she was in the back seat of her father’s car, leaving me forever.No goodbye.No mercy.That was ten years ago.Now the sexy vixen from my past is back in town looking to hire a consultant.This is my way back in.But not for redemption or a second chance... -
Until Now by Laura Ward
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFocus. Dean Goldsmith is Indiana University’s star quarterback, and his dreams are about to come true. His undefeated season means he has a legitimate shot at the NFL. If he stays focused. Football comes first. College senior, Grace Yeates, is determined to defy the odds. She is months away from graduating with a business degree, something no one thought she would be able to pull off... -
Falling into Forever by Lauren Abrams
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 26 ratings"Out of habit, of madness, or the need to shatter even the last piece of myself, I raise my arms slightly. I need…I need so much to touch him, to feel his arms around me, to throw myself headfirst into what I told myself I would never do again. I need the weight of his skin on my own. I need to forget. I need to remember...Categorized as:
second chances new adult college contemporary pregnancy possessive hero length-medium -
Forbidden Lyrics by Kelsie Rae
I didn't know who Dove's sister was when we first met.I didn't know that I'd been fooling around with her for a few months before Dove walked into my life.I didn't know that––if I've done the math correctly––I could be the father to her sister's child.But I do know this.Dove has the voice of an angel, and the heart of one too.I might not deserve her, but I refuse to let her go...Categorized as:
new adult cold hero bad boys college contemporary possessive hero virgin heroine explicit-open-door -
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In This Life by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsRELEASING MAY 15th!!!! IN THIS LIFE by Cora Brent KATHLEEN Loner. Volatile. Wickedly hot and unforgiving. Probably not the kind of man anyone should trust with an infant. Definitely not the kind of man any woman should trust with her heart. When Nash Ryan returned to town for the sake of his baby brother I thought I already understood who he was...Categorized as:
new adult bad boys single-mother contemporary alpha male friends to lovers single-father m-f -
Yesterday Is Gone by Hj Bellus
They say going home is easy, and in all reality, it should be. Just not for me. The small, one-horse town that gave me my roots, that made my soul thrive, is also the place I never wanted to set foot in again. I left everything behind and never looked back. Until now. With the death of the man who raised me, I’m forced to return to Boone...Categorized as:
new adult secret child single-mother second chances sports contemporary dual-pov first-person-pov -
My Way Back to You by Claire Contreras
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThis book follows Then There Was You. Love isn't always about timing. Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and roll with it. I admit I wasn't ready. I know you don't want to look at me, let alone talk to me, but please, let me explain. Let me tell you all the ways my heart broke when you walked away. Let me show you what our years apart have done to me...Categorized as:
new adult secret child second chances contemporary angst alpha male friends to lovers length-medium -
Drive Me Wild by Julie Kriss
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsEmily was a cop's daughter, and I was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. At eighteen, our affair was wild and completely secret. Until she left town for college and a better life, and I hit the road to nowhere.Eight years later, we're both back in town. My father is in prison; Emily is selflessly helping her sister. We should be farther apart than we've ever been...Categorized as:
new adult bad boys friends-benefits contemporary forbidden love alpha male dual-pov length-short -
Flip Shot: A Friends to Lovers, Hockey Romance by MJ Fields
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTheoReturning from Texas after summer break, which I spent working, and training, I expected a temperature change. Hell, I welcomed the chill, but I didn’t expect to be completely frozen out by the only chick at Lincoln University who I thought about almost as much as I do hockey.When I saw Riley Park for the first time, the universe shifted...Categorized as:
college second chances new adult sports friends to lovers contemporary humor length-short -
Second Chance Sugar by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFalling in love once was enough for me. I work hard for what I want and I don’t make costly decisions.Like getting married or settling down.I’ve seen it happen to all my friends and they seem happier for it, but me?I’m good.I’m rich.And I’m free.All I need is a new executive assistant to keep my life in order.But I get so much more than that.I get her.The only girl I’ve ever loved...Categorized as:
single-mother second chances new adult contemporary super rich hero office length-long -
Entangled by J.S. Scott
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThere’s nothing richer than a second chance in the steamy second book of New York Times bestselling author J.S. Scott’s Accidental Billionaires series. Aiden Sinclair was a commercial fisherman before he suddenly came into his billionaire inheritance—not that he’s complaining. Being a Sinclair does have its perks. But things were simpler before the money... -
The Love Playbook by Jerica MacMillan
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSteamy love tutor romance with an inexperienced football player and the free spirit who rocks his world.Jackson Lancaster is a mystery. At least to me.He's not your typical jock at all—shy, studious, and apparently not looking to get all the action he can.I know, I know, stereotypes are bad. But if the shoe fits ...Except in this case, it doesn't. At all...Categorized as:
new adult college friends-benefits sports virgin hero contemporary friends to lovers length-medium -
Closer by Mary Elizabeth
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsGabriella Mason is damaged. Teller Reddy is wrecked. Misery loves company, and that’s exactly what Ella gets the afternoon her path crosses with Teller’s: the misunderstood premed student who instantly becomes her lifeline when she moves to Los Angeles, an attempt at escaping her heartbreaking past. In the beginning, Lonely and Defensive complete each other...Categorized as:
new adult college bad boys angst friends to lovers contemporary poor heroine length-novella -
What Do You Want? by K. Dosal McLendon, K. Dosal
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsLiamFamily, soccer, and friends, it’s what I’m best at.And after Lucy left seven months ago, it’s all I’ve focused on.The last year of college is here, and aside from soccer, I don’t know what I want.Especially after screwing my best friend, the girl with ripped jeans, Doc Martens, and a spicy attitude. Since then, Vanessa’s attitude isn’t the only thing spicing up between us either...Categorized as:
new adult second chances friends-benefits contemporary friends to lovers length-medium -
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So Wrong by Ajme Williams
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne fake marriage.One big disaster.Everything about Dylan melts me.He’s more than that ripped chest… those strong arms.The best thing about him is his daughter.The daughter that I babysit.He shares Maisie with his ex-wife.But I see the concern in his eyes.He wants his daughter to be loved, to be safe.…and he needs my help.A fake marriage with me would win him the custody battle... -
Crush by J.C. Emery
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsYoung love is always perfect. Until it's not. Cheyenne Grady is a total daddy's girl to her bad-ass father, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Forsaken Motorcycle Club. She's funny, and kind, and she just wants that deep, earth-shattering love like her dad has with her school secretary, Holly... -
Documentary by A.J. Sand
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsDylan Carroll, an ambitious college student filmmaker still reeling from the death of her brother, may have just stumbled onto the opportunity of a lifetime. Musician Kai White is in the middle of a public relations nightmare, and he may be keeping a secret that could turn things around. His manager/publicist wants to create a web series aimed at cleaning up his image... -
How We Fall by Melissa Toppen, Silla Webb
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsItâs not always about how we fall- itâs about where we end up once we land. I remember the very first time I laid eyes on Cole Lincoln. It still feels like yesterday when he stumbled into my life with his messy brown hair and dark eyes. Even though I was only ten years old at the time, I knew right then and there that he was going to change everything... -
Biker Bound by Ellie R. Hunter
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Lost Souls MC Series Book 3 The Raging Riders are no longer a threat to the Lost Souls MC. For six months life has been quiet and everyone is enjoying the peace. However, trouble is never far where the club is concerned. One by one the brothers find themselves targets from an unknown enemy. Someone is out to destroy the Lost Souls MC and everyone connected to them... -
Gio by Elizabeth Reyes
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNew Adult/ Contemporary Romance When tragedy strikes in the ring, Giovanni Bravo falls into a deep depression, walking away from his dream of boxing to train instead. He agrees to a two month get-away, helping train Felix Sanchez, his high school best friend and now welterweight champ of the world...
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