Contemporary – Page 150 – Trigger Warning Database

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson

Ramón Montez always achieves his goals. Whether that means collecting Ivy League degrees or growing his father’s fast-food empire, nothing sets Ramón off course. So when the sexy señorita who kissed him on the Day of the Dead runs off into the night with his heart, he determines to do whatever it takes to find her again.

Celebrity chef Julieta Campos has sacrificed everything to save her sea-to-table taqueria from closing. To her horror, she discovers that her new landlord is none other than the magnetic mariachi she hooked up with on Dia de los Muertos. Even worse, it was his father who stole her mother’s taco recipe decades ago. Julieta has no choice but to work with Ramón, the man who destroyed her life’s work–and the one man who tempts and inspires her.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Parental abandonment recounted
Alcohol consumption
Gentrification

Hope on the Rocks by Annabeth Albert

Hope on the Rocks by Annabeth Albert

Makeup vlogger Cam isn’t looking for love, but when a real-life lumberjack arrives on his doorstep, long-held desires bubble to the surface. And when the handsome older stranger asks if Cam might be up for a photoshoot, wearing little more than rope and a smile, Cam’s eager to oblige.

Johnny isn’t looking for a permanent connection either, but he’s intrigued by the sweet yet glamorous Cam. With each sexy picture he takes, their connection deepens. He cares for Cam, maybe a little too much.

Their chemistry is amazing, so Cam can’t help but hope he’s finally found someone who can see past his glitzy exterior and love him for who he really is. But Johnny’s known for keeping things casual. Is the power of love enough or will Cam get his inexperienced heart crushed?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Death of an uncle, recounted

Hope on the Rocks by Annabeth Albert

Hope on the Rocks by Annabeth Albert

Doctor Quinn Strauss is beloved by his small-town patients. He almost never drinks, especially not alone on a weeknight. But he’s heartbroken over an unexpected reminder of exactly how much his bad breakup has cost him. And the sexy ginger bartender keeps making him special drinks that go down a little too easy.

Take a drunk doc home… Bartender Adam Ringer can tell when someone’s hurting, and the heroic local doctor is practically radiating pain. Adam’s a natural caretaker and can’t help but spring to Quinn’s rescue. And when the drunk and rambling Quinn reveals a mutual sexy interest, Adam’s other instincts are intrigued. He can’t wait for Quinn to sober up… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Pregnancy

Finally Yours by Elena Aitken

Finally Yours by Elena Aitken

They say your forties are the new twenties. Maybe that would be true if my ex-husband hadn’t turned out to be a lying, cheating, stealing ass who left me with nothing except my pride. And it’s that pride that should keep me from accepting Phillip Conrad’s sexy, sinful, and way too indecent proposal to pay off the debt I owe him. I should walk away. I should slap him. Hell, I should tell him exactly where he can shove his offer. But I can’t. Because Phillip and I have unfinished business and it’s long past time to see if that spark between us has the potential to become a full-fledged inferno. Besides, if forty is the new twenty, and a second chance is really on the table, then maybe it’s not too late for some excitement. The sexier the better. And if I’m really lucky? Maybe I’ll get my happy ending after all.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Cheating

Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos

Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos

Twelve-year-old Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger–it’s the first time a teacher is going into space, and kids across America will watch the event on live TV in their classrooms. Nova and her big sister, Bridget, share a love of astronomy and the space program. They planned to watch the launch together. But Bridget has disappeared, and Nova is in a new foster home.

While foster families and teachers dismiss Nova as severely autistic and nonverbal, Bridget understands how intelligent and special Nova is, and all that she can’t express. As the liftoff draws closer, Nova’s new foster family and teachers begin to see her potential, and for the first time, she is making friends without Bridget. But every day, she’s counting down to the launch, and to the moment when she’ll see Bridget again. Because Bridget said, “No matter what, I’ll be there. I promise.”

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism
Disappearance of a sibling
Foster car system

What I Carry by Jennifer Longo

What I Carry by Jennifer Longo

Growing up in foster care, Muir has lived in many houses. And if she’s learned one thing, it is to Pack. Light. Carry only what fits in a suitcase. Toothbrush? Yes. Socks? Yes. Emotional attachment to friends? foster families? a boyfriend? There’s no room for any additional baggage.

Muir has just one year left before she ages out of the system. One year before she’s free. One year to avoid anything–or anyone–that could get in her way. Then she meets Francine. And Kira. And Sean.

And everything changes.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Foster care system

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

Amber McCloud’s dream is to become cheer captain at the end of the year, but it’s an extra-tall order to be joyful and spirited when the quarterback of your team has been killed in a car accident. For both the team and the squad, watching Robbie get replaced by newcomer Jack Walsh is brutal. And when it turns out Jack is actually short for Jaclyn, all hell breaks loose.

The players refuse to be led by a girl, the cheerleaders are mad about the changes to their traditions, and the fact that Robbie’s been not only replaced but outshined by a QB who wears a sports bra has more than a few Atherton Alligators in a rage. Amber tries for some semblance of unity, but it quickly becomes clear that she’s only got a future on the squad and with her friends if she helps them take Jack down… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Sexism
Queermisia
Threatened outing
Alcohol consumption
Abortion mentioned
Miscarriage
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a child
Car accident
Bullying

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries. Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list.. Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Depression
Suicide

The Color Project by Sierra Abrams

The Color Project by Sierra Abrams

Bernice Aurora Wescott has one thing she doesn’t want anyone to know: her name. That is, until Bee meets Levi, the local golden boy who runs a charity organization called The Color Project. Levi is not at all shy about attempting to guess Bee’s real name. But while Levi is everything she never knew she needed, giving up her name would feel like a stamp on forever. And that terrifies her.

When unexpected news of an illness in the family drains Bee’s summer of everything bright, she is pushed to the breaking point. Losing herself in The Color Project—a world of weddings, funerals, cancer patients, and hopeful families that the charity funds—is no longer enough. Bee must hold up the weight of her family, but to do that, she needs Levi.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Child abuse
Anxiety
Car accident

Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe by Lindsay Zrull

Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe by Lindsay S. Zrull

Jess was claimed by the state when her bio mom’s mental illness made her unstable. While their relationship is far from traditional, blood ties are hard to break. There’s only one problem: Jess can’t reunite with her mom in New York City without a bunch of paperwork and she worries her social worker will never approve the trip. That’s when she remembers Oscar’s cosplay group, which is aiming for that big convention in New York . . .

So, Jess joins Oscar’s team—with every intention of using them to get to her mom. But her plan gets complicated when she discovers that, actually, cosplay is pretty great, and so is having friends. And Oscar, who Jess thought was just a shy nerd, can be as gallant and charming as the heroes he pretends to be. As the big convention draws near, Jess will have to decide whether or not chasing a dream of “family” is worth risking the family she’s built for herself.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Schizophrenia
Anxiety
Panic attacks, on-page
Foster care system
Bullying