Books published by publisher Swoon Romance

*** PUBLISHER'S ALERT: MATURE CONTENT WARNING ***Recommended for ages 16+. Includes scenes that depict drug use, self-harm, teen sexual situations, and sexual assault. This book contains mature content and depiction of a seventeen-year-old girl's rape at the hands of another student. It is a chilling, first-hand fictional account of an incident -- the likes of which occurs across the country at parties just like the one depicted in this story - and one we wanted to feel as raw and as devastating as incidents which occur in real life. We also understand that these scenes may be difficult and uncomfortable for some. We recommend this novel for readers ages sixteen and older. "I cried, praying for him to finish. I closed my eyes and tried to envision myself somewhere else… somewhere where I was happy. I thought of my family all piled around our tree on Christmas morning. I thought of singing with my band. I thought of Clare and me baking cookies and watching movies together. But after just a few seconds of pretending, Mike would hit me or thrust deeper, and I would be back in reality. I was being raped. I was all alone. I was a damsel in distress. And there was no one there to save me."Seventeen-year-old Stacey Lorenzo’s poor self-esteem has always consumed her. When significant weight loss leaves her still feeling powerless and with an eating disorder, she turns to partying to cope. Things go from bad ot worse when she is raped, a crushing blow to her psyche from which she may not recover. Stacey drugs, cuts, and hooks up with countless guys in an attempt to dull the pain. But if Stacey doesn't find a way to face her demons and overcome her fears, she might find herself in a hole so dark, even love won't be able to pull her out.Barren is written by debut author Elizabeth Miceli. It is a devastating and dark account of one girl's plummet to the very bottom of the human experience and the horrific and petrifying road to recovery and self-worth.Below are some recent resources for victims and survivors of college sexual assault. Organization: PACT5Documentary: The Hunting GroundPSA: Till It Happens to You with Lady GagaPSA: It's On Us: One ThingEnough is Enough: New York State legislation on college campus assaults

Even after a couple of months, sixteen-year-old Amanda Bryson is still nursing a broken heart. And now her parents are forcing her to attend the traditional summer family vacation in New Mexico. She’d much rather be home taking care of her sick great-grandmother than doing chores and dealing with her brother and his friends.But when they arrive, Amanda learns that the studio of local potter and friend Cady Sanders has been hit by taggers. Not only that, but the older woman broke her foot chasing them off. Now Amanda has the chance to give back by helping out—with the added perk of no thoughts of her ex, or family chores, or obnoxious brothers.There’s only one problem. Cady’s nephew, Kyle Young, is staying with her for the summer. He’s surly, ridiculously cute, and clearly doesn’t want her around. That makes two of them. But as Amanda and Kyle compete for Cady’s attention, they find they have a lot in common, including a growing attraction. But is Amanda ready to date again? Or will Kyle, despite his intense gazes, turn out to be just as jerky as her ex?

"A definite MUST READ! EFFORTLESS WITH YOU left me smiling like a doofus and hugging my Kindle." -- Cassie Mae, bestselling author of REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND and the forthcoming HOW TO DATE A NERD "A fun summer read. Highly recommended." -- Sheralynn Kwong "A quick, fun and flirty read. Thanks for sharing." -- Julie Ann Marra EFFORTLESS WITH YOU is the story of Lucy, a girl who needs an attitude adjustment, and Justin, the boy who just might give it to her. School is out and Lucy is ready for the perfect summer: lazy days at the pool, invitations to the most exclusive parties, and romantic dates with her hot new boyfriend. That is, until she lands in trouble one too many times and her parents issue the ultimate punishment: a summer job. Suddenly, the summer can't end fast enough. To make matters worse, the job is painting houses with Justin, the most popular, egotistical guy in school. Spending all summer with Justin might be other girls' dreams, but definitely not Lucy's. After all, Justin is cocky, annoying, and a jerk. So what if he's the most beautiful jerk Lucy's ever seen? Or that his grin makes her forget she’s mad at the world? Or that maybe, just maybe, there's more to Justin than everyone thinks. Only one thing is certain: it won’t be the summer she wanted, but it might be exactly the one she needs. Preview chapters from Cassie Mae's HOW TO DATE A NERD and Linda Budzinski's THE FUNERAL SINGER.

Van Sato’s got labels. Tourettes, ADHD, SPD - words that have defined his existence since the time he was old enough to know what they meant. Now, Van wants to prove he’s more than an acronym, a syndrome, a problem kid. He takes a summer job as a day camp counselor to prove he’s capable of independence and moving on to the next phase in his life. Maybe, he might even make a friend while there. Someone who’s got just as many or even more labels than him. Someone who understands what it’s like. Tabby Dubanowksi wants to forget about everything, the hospitalization, the judgment, the whispers behind her back. As a camp counselor, she will be admired, looked up to, and able to help people who don’t know anything about her old life. Tabby wants a fresh start and a chance to re-ignite her passion for film-making, if only for one summer.After running away from their pasts, Van and Tabby collide in a storm cloud of attraction laced with self-doubt, insecurity, shame, and blame. Now, with Van feeling like he might have to quit his job, and Tabby struggling to quell the urge to cut, they will struggle to find themselves in a world designed to keep them apart.

FREE NOVELLA INSIDE: My Disastrous Summer Vacation included with eBook Junior year is supposed to be tough. Exams, term papers, homework, college tours, and participation in extra-curricular activities can all add up to non-stop stress. But Melinda Banner has goals to achieve and dreams to make real. This year, she’ll be unstoppable. But even over achievers need a break.While walking in the woods to take a break from the stress of it all, Melinda meets a boy named Connor. After a few more run-ins, the two settle into an uneasy friendship, if you can even call it that. But Connor's closed and mysterious. Whenever Melinda asks too many questions, he suddenly has to go or is no longer interested in talking. When they’re together, she’s torn between wanting him to open up and running away as fast as she can. Still she can't seem to shake her budding interest in him.Connor has his own way of looking at the world, and his views often conflict with Melinda’s practical nature. Can you like someone and loathe them at the same time? Is he even worth the emotional tug on her heartstrings or distraction from all things Junior year?And, as if she needs another project right now, Melinda starts to obsess over the abandoned estate she passes on the way to school each day. Between Connor and the old estate, Melinda's beginning to think she's taking on too much.But Melinda's smart. She finds a way to indulge her interest in the estate and fulfill her obligations. She will uncover the truth behind the aging edifice for an epic article in the school newspaper. But when her investigation reveals a connection between Connor and a tragedy long-since forgotten, Melinda has a choice: put off her junior year achievements to save a local landmark and a boy who constantly pushes her away or put them both out of her mind for good and focus on making the grade.

Becca Thornton is clueless when it comes to love. Why else would she break up with Will Gamen, a boy at the top of the hottie short list for every other girl? Because, if she’s being totally honest, Becca will admit the truth. Her heart belongs to someone else. For as long as she can remember, Travis Brennen has been unavailable. When Travis unexpectedly rolls back into town, Becca realizes for the first time that her feelings for him might be mutual. But Travis and Becca come from what he calls “different circumstances.” Becca’s parents are world-famous scientists and Travis’s dad is the caretaker on the Thornton family’s estate. Still, Becca can’t change the way she feels about him, no matter how hard her parents try to keep them apart. She’ll just need to find a way to prove to her parents that Travis isn’t the guy they’ve always assumed him to be. Becca’s earned the right to grow up, make her own choices, and fall in love, even if she ends up with a broken heart.

Skylar Fletcher is a proud Harris Academy Bulldog! She has everything she’s ever wanted: a perfect boyfriend, great friends, and her dream college waiting for her in the fall. But nothing lasts forever. Skylar's world shatters when her mom decides it's time to move and drags Skylar, kicking and screaming, into Bobcat territory. At Delmont High School, home of the Bobcats, Skylar has no friends and is often bullied. To make matters worse, her home life sucks thanks to all-star quarterback Caleb Morgan, nephew of her mom's live-in boyfriend. At first, Skylar and Caleb want nothing to do with one another. But they soon discover they're not that different after all--and each is harboring a secret attraction to the other. But can a Bulldog and a Bobcat ever really be more than friends? And are Skylar and Caleb willing to risk everything to find out? Rival Love is a debut young adult contemporary romance from Natalie Decker.

Popularity isn't everything it's cracked up to be. Justin Marshall knows this better than most. For the captain of the basketball team, small business owner, and son of Minnesota's next governor, life can get pretty overwhelming. But Justin can handle anything as long as he has Lucy, the girl who fell for the man he’s trying to be. But for Justin and Lucy, finding time together proves challenging. Stolen kisses and whispered promises just aren't enough. That is, until scandalous photos of the couple are leaked to a press intent on creating a juicy scandal during Justin's dad's gubernatorial campaign. And when Lucy becomes fair play for the tabloids and gossip pages, Justin does the only thing he can to protect her: he breaks her heart. For Lucy, junior year is everything she hoped it would be: new friends, second chances, and a boyfriend she can’t stop kissing. That is, until the boy she’s pretty sure she loves chooses the life his family wants for him, over her. Now it’s up to Lucy to teach him what it really means to have everything. Because for Justin, being who everyone needs him to be just might cost him the one person he can’t live without.

Collette Rodriguez hates rules, just ask her perfect, older, gorgeous, rule-following sister, Jana. But now that Jana’s away at college and Collette’s a sophomore in high school, things are going to change. She’s gotta find a way to get out from under her sister’s shadow. That won’t be so easy though because everyone, including the boys, remember perfectly-hot-Jana and constantly compare Collette to her. Colette has lived under her sister’s shadow for most of her life. When Jana finally leaves for college, Colette knows the time has come to find her own way in the world. First, she needs to survive sophomore year. This means learning to follow the rules, although rule-following has never been Colette’s strong point. When a teacher asks Colette to lead a STEM Mentoring project, working with middle school kids, Colette doubts her ability to take charge. Enter Will Gamen, junior football star. Looking for a club to boost his chances of a college scholarship, Will signs up for STEM. From the first meeting, when Will inadvertently takes over, Colette wonders if he should really be the person to run the project. And, in an even more confusing turn of events, Will starts to drop by her house for unplanned study dates. After the two spend one fabulous Saturday night together, Will suddenly backs off. But Colette and Will started out as friends and she’s determined not to let one meaningless kiss come between them. Plus, keeping Will on her team is the best thing for the STEM project. And it also gives her more time to convince Will that they also work better as a couple.

Cheerleader Layla and football player Tyler are complete opposites. She thinks he’s the biggest jerk in school and he thinks she's too high on her horse to even be worth a second glance. When the two of them are near one another, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. They can hardly endure speaking, let alone dating. But when Layla unknowingly sends Tyler a smack-down text meant for the girl sending naked photos to her then-boyfriend, Adam, Tyler has no idea it’s Layla and decides to play along. After all, Tyler cannot resist messing with the pissed off girl firing off texts about junk pictures, cheating, and girl code. As the fallout from Adam’s scandalous texts plays out in front of the entire school, Tyler and Layla secretly continue to text each other using fake names. But as days and weeks pass, things take a turn for the serious between them, and suddenly, their texts mean more. Maybe it's time to come clean about who they are and risk taking the relationship from texts to dates, then kissing, and maybe more. They say there's a thin line between love and hate. Can reality live up to the fantasy, or will Layla and Tyler be forever offsides?

INCLUDES a FREE BONUS novella called MY SUPER IMPORTANT INTERNSHIP When Avery Thornton needs to escape a first day of school disaster, she ducks into anequipment room to hide and meets someone else who’s also having a really bad day. Eli Fields just got demoted to third string on the football team, a sport he doesn’t evenreally want to play. On the hunt for a dance partner before her competition seasonbegins, Avery discovers Eli’s secret, non-football life outside of school. She thinks he could be the dance partner she’s dreamed about. But Eli wants no part of dancing with Avery. When someone else steps in as Avery’s partner for competitions, she and Eli begin practicing steps “just for fun.” But, is that really all that Eli wants? And although Avery has found a perfect partner, she’s learning that perfection doesn’t necessarily equal happiness.

Bookish Brit Adam Gibson is one wonky heartbeat away from a fatal arrhythmia. He's torn between wanting to live and knowing that someone else must die in order for him to do so. He needs a new heart. Adam stops talking to his friends, refuses to meet kids at his new school, and shuts his parents out entirely. His days are spent wondering if can cope with having a dead man's heart beating inside his chest, or if he should surrender to the thoughts of suicide swirling around in his head. And then a donor is found. Outspoken artist Darby Fox rarely lets anything stand in her way of achieving her goals. She also happens to be the twin sister to a perfect brother with good looks, good grades, manners, and the approval of their parents - something Darby has never had. Darby's always had bad timing. She picks the worst time to argue with her brother Daniel. In a car with bald tires, on an icy road in the freezing cold, the unthinkable happens. In a split-second, everything changes forever.When life forces Adam and Darby together, undeniable sparks fly, and a deep connection is made. But the secret inside of Adam may be the thing that pushes them apart forever.