IndieReader makes 6 hot indie romance recs
Looking for a steamy new read to thaw the snowy days of winter? Here are six indie romance books, some of them very hot off the presses.
Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park
High school senior Celeste Watkins isn't exactly normal. Isolation seems to be the only answer for a smart girl who's a bit too different from her peers. So she grits her teeth and waits for college, where sophomore Justin Milano — just as odd — may be the guy to bring her out of her shell. Now together, can this pair save another couple? Though considered a stand-alone, Flat-Out Celeste is a spinoff of Flat-Out Love.
Both novels are the work of Jessica Park, who's also penned Left Drowning, Relatively Famous and the Flat-Out Love companion novella Flat-Out Matt. A Boston native, Park now lives in New Hampshire with her husband, son, two dogs and a cat.
Ruin (parts one and two) by Deborah Bladon
A tale about moments that change lives, Ruin's first installment introduces readers to Kayla Monroe, who meets Dr. Ben Foster on a flight from Boston to New York City. The man whose bed she eagerly shares may not be what he seems — the rumors say he's left a "path of ruin" in his wake. But she doesn't care — he's helping her mend her broken heart and may be just what she needs.
Canadian Bladon is a life-long romance novel lover living in New York City.
Risk by Cora Brent
A story of ill-timed love, Risk is the follow-up to Draw. In this novel, readers can follow the love life of another Gentry boy — Creedence. Though he always considered girls just worth a bit of a "quick and dirty" time, his new love interest is proving to be much more. She's a "tired age of 21" who's had her heart broken before. Though she knows Creed is bad for her, she can't stop herself from seeing him.
Author Cora Brent lists "wild romantic stories, grunge-era flannel, my vintage Kenmore sewing machine, embroidered dishcloths" and 1980s pop culture as her favorite things.
Another Word for Sister by Cheryl Irwin
Two sisters love Liam McCann in colonial New Zealand. They are Lily and Rose Quinn, twin sisters, and he is an Irish farmer trying to make a new life in a new country. The sisters have a close bond and a mysterious past and Liam can't help but be drawn inside. Another Word for Sister is called a "spiritual journey of love, loss and loving again."
Inspired by the relationship between body and mind, Cheryl Irwin is also an artist as well as an author. She lives in New Zealand with her photographer husband and regularly presents her own work in her hometown.
Keeping My Prince Charming by JS Cooper
This is the final installment in the Prince Charming series, which follows Lola Franklin as she studies aboard and meets playboy prince and professor Xavier Van Romerius. In the final installment, Lola is faced with secrets and jealousies that lead to a "web of love and sex that confuses and excites her." She is left asking whether Xavier will be her Prince Charming, or is someone else waiting for her?
New York City resident and Brit J.S. Cooper has worked for literary non-profit Americorp Vista, then studied the history of education at Columbia University. She now works for a non-profit dedicated to workers' rights.
The Girl and the Raven by Pauline Gruber
Lucy Walker is a half-witch, half-demon — something she doesn't learn until she's 16 years old. Such a revelation comes with problems — like stopped her dad, a demon, from killing her boyfriend. And keeping witches from killing her dad. Then, of course, she has to protect her normal friends from the cross-fire. In the meantime, Lucy has to find a magical raven that carries the secrets of her past.
Gruber is a legal assistant and book addict. She credits E.B. White, C.S. Lewis, VC Andrews, Stephen King and Agatha Christie as some of her favorite authors.
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