If You Only Knew
Prerna Pickett
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: February 11th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

A boy recently released from jail and the daughter of a prosecutor fall for each other against the odds in this YA novel.
Corey has just been released from jail, and all he wants is a new beginning. But when his former gang comes knocking, Corey agrees to vandalize the home of Kent Hopper, the prosecutor who put him away.
To erase the guilt she carries from getting away with a crime, Tessa spends most of her nights riding her motorcycle. When she catches Corey destroying her father’s car, she doesn’t see a criminal: She sees a way to finally right her own wrongs. So instead of turning Corey over to the police, she convinces her father to give Corey a second chance.
As Tessa and Corey spend more time with each other, it becomes difficult to ignore the pull between them. But they’re both keeping secrets, and when those secrets come to light, they’ll each have to face their demons in order to have a future together.

Corey’s lips lifted into a small smile, and his whole face changed. I stared at him for a second, taken aback. He glanced at me with a question in his raised brow. 
“Come on, let’s get inside.” Dad started walking away. 
“Just a minute.” I made a face at Dad when he hesitated.
 He rolled his eyes. “Come on, Jiminy, let’s go,” he said, before walking into the house with Jiminy trailing after him. 
“Thank you for agreeing to this.” Corey’s cheeks were red. He scratched the back of his head and pulled the string around his neck tighter as if to hide himself within the hoodie. But it was too late— I saw him, and he wasn’t fooling anyone with that crap. 
“There’s really no need.” The hood fell back, no longer shadowing his face. “My dad can’t do all the work by himself. My uncles would help, but he’d never accept it. And I didn’t want whatever would have happened to you on his conscience. He already has enough to lose sleep over.” 
“I understand.” He ran a hand through his hair, and the scar on his brow came into view.
I scrutinized Corey. He didn’t back down from my stare. A small wisp of a breeze blew through the backyard, alleviating some of the pressure from the heat bearing down on us. After a minute, the intensity grew, warmth flushing along my body. I forced myself to look away. The first thing that caught my eye was the Porsche. Instinctively my body stiffened, and I closed my eyes for a second. 
When I opened them, Corey stared at me like he was trying to figure out a puzzle. I remembered suddenly that this was the guy who ruined my dad’s car with his gang. I stiffened when the realization of what I had done hit me. Corey was in a gang. A gang he still associated with. And my dad and I had just given him an open invitation to our house. My stomach flipped uneasily. 
“What?” I snarled. A wounded expression crossed his face, but it cleared quickly and that barrier he seemed to have built around himself came into full view. 
“Nothing. I guess I’ll see you around.” Corey lifted up his bike and rode off.


Author Bio:
I’m a wife, mom, writer, reader. Lover of foods, beaches, the ocean, shoes, starry nights. Sometimes I pretend like I’m good at drawing.


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