Books like Falling away by Penelope Douglas

K.C. Carter has always followed the rules—her life at college and her carefully arranged future were suddenly disrupted by a mistake that branded her the talk of the campus. With her town housemates watching every move, she’s forced to spend the summer in the same small hometown where her past is waiting. On the surface, Jaxon Trent is the classic north‑state alpha male she was taught to avoid. He has never forgotten the girl who told him no. Their history, coupled with K.C.’s desire to free herself from her mother’s shadow, creates a friction that neither can ignore. As they grow closer, Jaxon struggles to share his own darkness while K.C. learns that vulnerability might be the only escape from a childhood of abuse and angst. Set in a contemporary college backdrop, the story follows a slow‑burn, enemies‑to‑lovers arc, drawing in readers with its dark romance, first‑hand perspectives, and a tense, emotionally charged atmosphere.

First publish date: 2015