Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland

Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland

Matilda ‘Effie’ Heaton has always felt like she’s swimming against the tide. Everyone around her has life sorted, but Effie’s living with her parents and crying into a wine bottle at night. The only thing she loves is her job at a bookshop, where she can lose herself in other people’s stories. But then she meets Theo, who knows only too well that life isn’t something to take for granted. Because Theo has a life-changing secret, and as Effie starts to realise that she’s falling in love instead of falling apart, fate steps in and deals her a new hand. And this time, the stakes are high.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Alcoholism recovery
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A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian

A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian

Lady’s maid Molly Wilkins is done with thieving—and cheating and stabbing and all the rest of it. She’s determined to keep her hands to herself, so she really shouldn’t be tempted to seduce her employer’s prim and proper companion, Alice. But how can she resist when Alice can’t seem to keep her eyes off Molly? For the first time in her life, Alice Stapleton has absolutely nothing to do. The only thing that seems to occupy her thoughts is a lady’s maid with a sharp tongue and a beautiful mouth. Her determination to know Molly’s secrets has her behaving in ways she… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Misogyny
  • Child abuse & neglect mentioned
  • Sexual harassment recounted
  • Familial disownment
  • Parent with alcoholism
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The Soldier’s Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian

The Soldier’s Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian

Jack Turner grew up in the darkness of London’s slums, born into a life of crime and willing to do anything to keep his belly full and his siblings safe. Now he uses the tricks and schemes of the underworld to help those who need the kind of assistance only a scoundrel can provide. His distrust of the nobility runs deep and his services do not extend to the gorgeous high-born soldier who personifies everything Jack will never be. After the chaos of war, Oliver Rivington craves the safe predictability of a gentleman’s life… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Homomisia
  • Child sex work mentioned
  • Sexual assault mentioned
  • Sexual harassment mentioned
  • Domestic violence, off-page
  • Alcoholism
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
  • War themes
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Black Deception by Rina Kent

Dark Deception by Rina Kent

Being born a leader taught me one thing. I take what I want. Including the lone rose who’s struggling to survive on the streets. Only I’m no knight and I won’t do any saving. If anything, I’m the nightmare she can’t wake up from. The monster she can’t escape. The devil she can’t fight. I’m the blood that’ll be coating her pure petals.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexual assault
  • Alcoholism
  • Nonconsensual adoption
  • Gun violence
  • Kidnapping
  • Homelessness

Tempted by Deception by Rina Kent

Tempted by Deception by Rina Kent

My husband. My villain. We started with death and blood. We started with games and carnal pleasure. Adrian and I shouldn’t have been together. He’s wrong.
I’m wrong. What we have is the epitome of disaster. Yet, it’s impossible to stop. My husband will either destroy me or I’ll destroy him.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Graphic rape & attempted rape
  • Sexual assault
  • Child abuse & neglect recounted
  • Cheating
  • Attempted suicide
  • Agoraphobia
  • Insomnia & nightmares
  • Hallucinations
  • Stillbirth
  • Alcoholism & alcohol abuse
  • Gun violence
  • Whipping
  • Kidnapping
  • Homelessness
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Loud and Clear by Aidan Wayne

Loud and Clear by Aidan Wayne

Jaxon is getting by fine, severe dyslexia or not. Being a cab driver means he doesn’t need to read much, and the job has its perks. The pay isn’t bad, the people can be interesting, and having memorized the city streets keeps him from feeling too stupid. When he picks up Caleb, a quiet fare in a nice suit, Jaxon doesn’t think anything of it. Then he ends up driving Caleb home the next week too, and the next, and the next. Eventually, Caleb tries to communicate—by writing things down. Turns out that Caleb has such a bad stutter he spends most of his time mute… Read more.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Internalised ableism
  • Alcoholism
  • Speech impediment
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How to Belong with a Billionaire by Alexis Hall

How to Belong with a Billionaire by Alexis Hall

I thought I’d be okay when Caspian Hart left. He was a brilliant, beautiful billionaire with a past he couldn’t escape. And I was … just me: an ordinary man lost in his own life. It would never have lasted. It should never have happened. Not outside a fairytale. And I am okay. I’ve got my job, my family, my friends, and everything Caspian taught me. Except it turns out he’s going to marry his ex-boyfriend. A man who doesn’t understand him. A man who almost broke him. And I’ve finally realized it’s not enough for me to be happy. I need Caspian to be happy too… Read more.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Graphic attempted rape
  • Paedophilia & child sexual abuse recounted
  • Cheating
  • Abusive relationship mentioned
  • Alcoholism recovery
  • Recreational drug use
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Death of a parent
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Love Times Infinity by Lane Clarke

Love Times Infinity by Lane Clarke

High school junior Michie is struggling to define who she is for her scholarship essays, her big shot at making it into Brown as a first-generation college student. The prompts would be hard for anyone, but Michie’s been estranged from her mother since she was seven and her concept of family has long felt murky. Enter new kid and basketball superstar Derek de la Rosa. He is very cute, very talented, and very much has his eye on Michie, no matter how invisible she believes herself… Read more.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Rape & sexual assault
  • Parental abandonment
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Alcoholism mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Abortion discussed
  • Death of a grandparent recounted, off-page
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Almost Home by Joan Bauer 

Almost Home by Joan Bauer

When twelve-year-old Sugar’s grandfather dies and her gambling father takes off yet again, Sugar and her mother lose their home in Missouri. They head to Chicago for a fresh start, only to discover that fresh starts aren’t so easy to come by for the homeless. Nevertheless, Sugar’s mother has taught her to be grateful no matter what, so Sugar does her best. With the help of a rescue dog, Shush; a foster family; a supportive teacher; a love of poetry; and her own grace and good humor, Sugar comes to understand that while she can’t control the hand life deals her, she can control how she responds.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Parental abandonment
  • Parent with alcoholism
  • Hospitalisation
  • Death of a grandfather
  • Animal abuse mentioned
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The Art of Escaping by Erin Callahan 

The Art of Escaping by Erin Callahan

Seventeen-year-old Mattie is hiding her obsession with Harry Houdini and Dorothy Dietrich from everyone, including her best friend Stella. When Stella takes off to boarding school for the summer, all of Mattie’s anxieties bubble to the surface, leaving her feeling adrift. To distract herself, she seeks out Miyu, the reclusive daughter of a world-renowned escape artist whose life and career were snuffed out by a tragic plane crash. With Miyu’s help, Mattie secretly transforms herself into a burgeoning escapologist and performance artist. Away from the curious eyes of her peers, she thrives in her new world of lock… Read more.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Ableism
  • Homomisic slurs
  • Cheating
  • Statutory rape
  • Alcoholism
  • Depression
  • Near-drowning
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