Books like 'Reason to Breathe'
Readers who enjoyed Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance young adult love triangle friends to lovers athletes mystery suspense tortured heroine virgin heroine
-
Ember by Rachel Van Dyken
Everybody Loves A Bit of Darkness..Until It Consumes Them... I am a Killer. A Rapist. A Monster. I know only pain and survival. That is until the Cappo's sister walked into my life. And changed everything...Categorized as:
suspense friends to lovers virgin heroine angst high-school m-f young adult bad boys -
Inferno by Catherine Doyle
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsRomeo and Juliet meets The Godfather in the second installment of Catherine Doyle's Blood for Blood series. Sophie's life has been turned upside-down, and she's determined to set things right. But Nic, the Falcone brother who represents everything she's trying to forget, won't give up on their love - and it's Luca's knife she clutches for comfort...Categorized as:
love triangle mystery suspense other-man-woman m-f contemporary young adult vengeance -
Dark Legacy by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you a new dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.That our love could start a war...Dear reader,Dark Legacy is the twelfth book in my Knight's Ridge Empire series, and the third book of Calli and Batman's story...Categorized as:
angst high-school friends to lovers suspense mystery new adult contemporary young adult -
-
Elicit by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsCursed, numb, rejected, scorned, wicked, sinister, dark, twisted...my name is Tex Campisi and this is my legacy. I killed my father in cold blood and lost my soul right along with him. I crave war more than peace, and I'm about to take my place in history as the youngest Capo dei Capi in the Cosa Nostra...that is until someone stops me, saves me from myself... -
Corrupt Union by Tracy Lorraine
I found everything I didn’t know I needed. Accepted forgiveness I didn’t deserve.She fought for us. Killed for us. She was one of us. And there was no way I was letting her go… again. But I’m not the only one with wicked intentions for my siren. With her missing, we turn our blame to an obvious enemy. But our path of destruction could be leading us right into another trap... -
Real Girl by Sheridan Anne
Lucien Valentine must die.It’s the thought that’s kept me going for four long years. I’ve imagined it, dreamed about it, relished in it. I want it so bad, but the question is, do I have what it takes to make it happen?Taking a life isn’t for the faint-hearted. Just ask Lucien, he knows.He’s taken me back to where it all started and I know exactly how it’s going to go... -
Always Crew by Tijan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFor the longest time, I was Bren Monroe.I lived in Roussou, California.I had no parents, no brother, but I had a crew.Then things started to change.I never planned for any of it.I didn’t think I’d fall in love.I didn’t think I’d have a relationship with my brother again.I didn’t think that he’d come back.Now I’m in Cain.My crew is in college.They’re growing, going through their own things... -
Logan Kade by Tijan
People think that just because they know my name, my reputation, and my family that they know me. They don't.They say I’m a manwhore, but who wouldn’t be with my face and body? They say I’m a partier, and that's not going to change. They say I'm a fighter, and hell yes I am. F*ck with mine, and I’ll f*ck you back ten times worse.So, yes. Maybe what they say is true, but that’s not all of me... -
Almost Broken by Portia Moore
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsLauren Brooks fell in love with Cal Scott at 21, married him at 22 and had her heart broken at 23 when he walked out of their marriage. At 25, though raising his daughter on her own, Lauren was finally moving on with her life. Until, she learned the reason for Cal's abandonment, the walls she’d carefully built around her collapsed.Categorized as:
suspense college mystery love triangle angst other-man-woman contemporary young adult -
Still Jaded by Tijan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSheldon, Bryce, and Corrigan ruled their school until a killer wanted to rule them. Three years later, Bryce’s back home from Europe the local celebrity jock. Corrigan’s busy running his fraternity and Sheldon's about to be pulled back into the social world of drama...Categorized as:
athletes friends to lovers suspense mystery love triangle college other-man-woman young adult -
Mafiosa by Catherine Doyle
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsA blood war rages on the streets of Chicago.Protected by an infamous mafia family, Sophie is living a dangerous lie, pretending to lead a normal life. But the deceit can’t last for ever. Her heart belongs to a killer and Sophie’s the prime target of a rival clan...Categorized as:
mystery love triangle angst high-school other-man-woman m-f young adult contemporary -
Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy
From USA Today bestselling author Meagan Brandy comes the viral TikTok sensation Say You Swear. When Arianna starts college, she's hopeful this will finally be the year she wins the heart of her brother's best friend. But things don't quite go as planned...and that's when she meets football star Noah... -
Break Me by Meagan Brandy
I had a plan, and it was solid. Track down what was hidden away and take pleasure in toying with it. Toying with her. It worked like a charm.Until it didn’t. Turned out, the feisty little thing I found was far from what I hoped for. She was different from all I knew and more than I expected. She was light, and I’m the bastard who led her into darkness.But this girl..Categorized as:
sports angst suspense virgin heroine possessive hero tortured heroine college friends to lovers -
-
Wild Girl by Sheridan Anne
Have you ever known what it feels like to die?It’s not great. Trust me, I don’t recommend it.I’ve always said that my life is about surviving, but I didn’t realize how true that was until the devil sent me soaring off a bridge with the love of my life and lodged a bullet through my thigh.It’s not my time to die... -
Reckless Dynasty by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next installment of her dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world.My life has been full of half-truths tangled in lies—I’d been to hell and back more times than I could count... -
Aggro: An Emotional Forbidden Romance by Coralee June, Carrie Gray
Two boys.One tragedy.Grief bonds us.The mystery of this murder will break us.My best friend was brutally ripped from this world, but her brother and boyfriend are still here.One of them wants to use me.The other wants to forget me.Both of them make me feel alive.We’ll find Violet’s murderer, no matter the cost.Two boys.One tragedy.Grief bonds us.Love will tear us apart...Categorized as:
mystery suspense love triangle friends to lovers other-man-woman heroine sleuth christian new adult -
The Resolution of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThings are well for Callie and Kayden. They’re still dealing with their past and the pain connected to it, but for the most part they’ve moved on. The biggest decision they have at the moment is what they want to do with their lives in the future. Eventually, though, the past catches up with them and they’re left facing tough choices... -
Enforce by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThere’s two sides to every story… And ours? Isn’t pretty… Then again, what’s pretty about the mafia? Trace Rooks, that’s what. But she only wants one of us, and I’ll kill him before I let him have her. The only problem ? We’re cousins . And she may just be our long lost enemy. Whoever said college was hard, clearly didn’t attend Eagle Elite University...Categorized as:
suspense college love triangle other-man-woman m-f young adult contemporary bad boys -
Out of Breath by Rebecca Donovan
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsEmma leaves Weslyn and everyone in it behind to attend Stanford University, just as she always intended. A shell of her former self, she is not the same girl. She is broken, and the only way that she’ll be whole again is through forgiveness. Emma must find a way to forgive herself and recognize her own worth before she can receive the love she deserves...Categorized as:
love triangle tortured heroine college angst other-man-woman m-f young adult contemporary -
Shame by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsEverything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into the light. I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can't change your soul. A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it was a lie. When guys kissed me--I felt only pain... -
Fall With Me by Lucy Smoke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIsaac Icari: The God of Hazelwood University. My stepbrother.My lover.My enemy.It was dangerous to let myself be swept up by him but he’s a drug that I crave.I should have walked away the second I realized what he was involved with, when he revealed who his father truly was.Now it’s too late.We should have known better. Get too close to the sun and you get burned... -
Perfectly Flawed by Nessa Morgan
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI thought I was okay.I mean, I went through my days just fine, pushing toward a goal I could easily achieve. I had friends that loved me, an aunt who adored me, and everything was just okay.But what I thought was okay and fine, all of that changed... -
-
The Golden Boys by Rachel Jonas, Nikki Thorne
West Golden—easy to hate, yet so hard to resist.Don’t let that pretty face of his fool you. He isn’t the boy next door, or the kind you trust with your heart. He’s the devil in designer jeans, with all the charm of a bona fide psycho.Trust me.He swears I did something to cross him before I even stepped foot inside Cypress Prep, but it’s a lie... -
Kick, Push by Jay McLean
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThere’s a single defining moment within every skater. It lasts only a second. Two if you're good. Three if you’re really good. It’s the moment you’re in the air, your board somewhere beneath you, and nothing but wind surrounds you. It’s the feeling of being airborne. The sixteen-year-old version of me would’ve said it was the greatest feeling in the world... -
Break Out by Kylie Kent
LiamThat feeling you get skating across the ice, legs burning, adrenaline pumping. It’s unmatched. Much like my current stats.Hockey has always been my sole focus, getting to the playoffs, winning the Stanley Cup—that’s my number one goal.I won’t let the fact that I’ve just been traded to a new team derail my future. Nor will the daughter of the so-called King of Canada, aka my new boss... -
Ugly Girl by Sheridan Anne
Slade Cruz is a d*@k.He’s intimidating, sexy as sin, and unpredictably wild. His eyes draw me in while his vicious smirk screams at me to run and never look back. I’m a toy to him, a pawn to use in his devilish games.I’ve already suffered through hell and back and if it’s games he wants then it’s games he’ll get, but he should be warned, this time it’s my turn to play the lead... -
The Girl in the Hoodie by SarcasticallyWitty
A girl moved to California two years ago.No one knows what she looks like.All they know is that she wears a hoodie...Categorized as:
mystery high-school friends to lovers angst contemporary young adult dark found-family -
Forever Golden by Rachel Jonas, Lessa Lamb
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWest Golden—Fierce protector. The one.The cocky jock I once wanted to kill with my bare hands is now the only one I trust with my heart.In a city full of corruption and dark secrets, knowing who’s on your side gets harder to determine every day. Especially now that Vin’s on the warpath, passing out threats he fully intends to see through to the end... -
Reckless Lies by Nikki J. Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey say when you die, your whole life plays over in your mind like a Hallmark movie. A rose-tinted reflection to remind you what a great life you’ve led.But for me, that wasn’t the case.There was no romantic, nostalgic ending for me.All I had was pain, darkness, and despair on the day I died, dragged by fire into the depths of hell. That’s where I live now. A shadow of the man I used to be...Categorized as:
suspense friends to lovers angst insta-love new adult contemporary young adult fated-mates -
Glass Heart Hero by Lindsey Iler
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLoyalty. Corruption. Family.A gauntlet rooted in love and jealousy may be the destruction of the students at Glass Heart Academy.DelaneyParts of me were stolen in the confines of a dark room. No matter how hard I fought, I got nowhere. The damage has already been done.Now I find myself in the arms of an unexpected boy...Categorized as:
high-school tortured heroine love triangle other-man-woman dark new adult cruel hero contemporary -
Echoes by Dylan Page
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBlurb & cover to come!!Release date is a placeholder...Categorized as:
high-school possessive hero angst suspense friends to lovers dark young adult strong heroine -
Ryan's Bed by Tijan
I crawled into Ryan Jensen’s bed that first night by accident. I barely knew him. I thought it was his sister’s bed—her room. It took seconds to realize my error, and I should've left... I didn’t.I didn’t jump out.I didn’t get embarrassed.I relaxed.And that night, in that moment, it was the only thing I craved. I asked to stay. He let me, and I slept. The truth? I never wanted to leave his bed...Categorized as:
sports virgin heroine angst friends to lovers high-school tortured heroine m-f contemporary -
-
Tempting Little Thief: Alternate Cover Edition by Meagan Brandy
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Meagan Brandy comes a steamy forbidden romance featuring a possessive hero … who falls first and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Bastian Bishop. That’s his name. He’s rough, rugged, and utterly unpredictable. He’s not cautious or contemplative. He’s a volcano. Silent and steady one second, and a nightmare in the next... -
Tempting Little Thief: Alternate Cover Edition by Meagan Brandy
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Meagan Brandy comes a steamy forbidden romance featuring a possessive hero … who falls first and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Bastian Bishop. That’s his name. He’s rough, rugged, and utterly unpredictable. He’s not cautious or contemplative. He’s a volcano. Silent and steady one second, and a nightmare in the next...Categorized as:
college high-school angst suspense possessive hero contemporary new adult from hate to love -
The End Game by Kate McCarthy
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratings“Professional athletes are pillars of their respective communities. They are heroes in the eyes of boys and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents their community.” The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that better than I do... -
A Whole New Crowd by Tijan
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsTaryn grew up in a different world. Her boyfriend was a criminal. His older brother was part of a gang. They weren’t great people, but they were her family. Then everything changes when she’s adopted by a family in the neighboring town. New family. New friends. A new world. She’s elated...Categorized as:
mystery suspense college friends to lovers angst high-school contemporary young adult -
Taunt Her: A Dark High School Bully Romance by Caitlyn Dare
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 21 ratings𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺.Remi Tanner wasn’t part of the plan. But when I see my uncle doting on her, I know she’s going to help me destroy him.I’ll taunt her.Test her.In the end, I’ll break her.Ace Jagger wasn’t a good guy. But he swept into my life like a storm, and I’m caught up in the aftermath.He’s cruel.Calculating...Categorized as:
high-school mystery virgin heroine possessive hero suspense insta-love angst from hate to love -
May We Rise by K.G. Reuss
Possessive. Violent. Perfect. Mine.After our time at Black Falls High, we moved to Mayfair, the college of my dreams. With my singing career taking shape, Fox’s football career off and running, Ethan’s photography, and Enzo and Cole’s. . .well, whatever secret things they do happening, life seemed good.Too good.If there’s one thing I know about my life it’s that nothing good ever lasts... -
Unraveling You by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsLyric Scott has always had a good life. Outgoing, spunky, and musically talented, she’s constantly surrounded by family and friends, yet she still feels there’s something missing. Then she meets her new next-door neighbor Ayden Gregory. Mysterious, sweet, and sad, Ayden is the exact opposite of Lyric and exactly what she needs to fill the void in her life...Categorized as:
virgin heroine mystery friends to lovers high-school m-f contemporary young adult musicians -
Before I Break by Portia Moore
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsOut of the past six years of my life, I only remember about half of it. After a dozen doctors and thousands in medical bills, I was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder--one that causes me to lose track of time. Sometimes it’s hours, days or even weeks with no recollection of anything. The good thing is it's been almost two years since I had my last ‘black out’...Categorized as:
mystery love triangle suspense other-man-woman young adult contemporary new adult dark -
Heartbreak Prince by C.R. Jane
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSoulmates. I believe in them. I was lucky enough to have two of them at one point.The only problem. My soulmates happened to be twin brothers.Caiden was the light to Jackson's dark. And after all that I had been through, the light was what I thought I needed.When I chose Caiden, I lost Jackson...Categorized as:
friends to lovers love triangle angst college other-man-woman new adult contemporary cruel hero -
Wicked Promises by S. Massery
I made a promise to Caleb, and I intended to keep it.I just didn’t anticipate the aftermath.One betrayal.One lie.One devastating cover up.It’s all out in the open now, and this time, I’m not running away.The secrets I hold are enough to destroy us.The truth is supposed to set us free—but we aren’t destined for freedom.This is a dark high school bully romance with mature content and themes... -
-
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller by L.B. Simmons
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 19 ratings*****#1 Best Seller in Amazon Inspirational Romance***** Death. For some, it's simply one of life's certainties, nothing more. For others, it's merely a fleeting thought, one often overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift of immortality. For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her very existence...Categorized as:
insta-love virgin heroine tortured heroine college friends to lovers contemporary dark christian -
Unlit Star by Lindy Zart
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWe are not guaranteed anything, not even this life. Rivers Young is the popular guy untouchable by reality. He is like a star—bright, consuming, otherworldly. The thing about stars, though, is that they eventually fall, and he is no different. He falls far and he falls hard. Delilah Bana is the outcast enshrouded in all of life's ironies...Categorized as:
tortured heroine college angst friends to lovers m-f contemporary young adult tearjerkers -
Heart on a Chain by Cindy C. Bennett
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 37 ratings17-year-old Kate has lived her whole life in abject poverty, with an alcoholic father and drug-addicted mother, who severely abuses Kate. At school, her second-hand clothing marks her as a target. Her refusal to stand up for herself makes her the recipient of her classmates taunts and bullying. That is, until Henry returns...Categorized as:
friends to lovers virgin heroine possessive hero college angst high-school m-f young adult -
Barely Breathing by Rebecca Donovan
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsEmma’s struggle with an abusive home life came to a heart pounding conclusion in the final chapters of "Reason to Breathe". Now everyone in Weslyn knows Emma’s secret, but Carol can’t hurt Emma anymore. Some are still haunted by the horror of that night, and some must face the repercussions of their choices... -
Left Drowning by Jessica Park
What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe? Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College...Categorized as:
virgin heroine friends to lovers tortured heroine college angst m-f young adult contemporary -
These Dark Hearts by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHarleigh Wren Maguire has loved Phoenix Wilder for as long as she can remember.He's everything she isn't.Brave.Reckless.One-hundred percent unapologetic.But it's Halloween... the perfect excuse to dress up and be someone you're not. To step out of your comfort zone and do things you wouldn't usually do.And Harleigh is determined to make her best friend notice her for once.There's only one problem...
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.