Better Than Before - K. F. Sterling - Wattpad

Story cover for Better Than Before by _insert_name_here_

Better Than Before

_insert_name_here_

Reads 924
Votes 253
Parts 32
Time 4h 52m

Reads 924
Votes 253
Parts 32
Time 4h 52m

_insert_name_here_

Mature

angelicbookawards british chicklit complete contemporary cosy debut english finished first fling friends friendstolovers fun love lovers mature new romance seaside slowburn spice spring steam story

Kelsey thought she left her seaside hometown behind her, along with the troubles of her ex boyfriend. Four years on and he's still troubling her. Returning home to confront him, things don't go quite to plan. The one night stay turns into a short break and Kelsey finds herself a reason not to fully say goodbye to this small town.

Sean hasn't visited his family since settling into his new job in the city, reluctantly he returns back home to reconnect with his parents and younger brother. But when he turns up to an empty house he thinks it's all a waste. That is until the small town surprises him with a big personality that'll help him connect with more than what he anticipated. 

Maybe, just maybe. For both Kelsey & Sean things might end up better than before.

(Completed - Editing in progress)All Rights Reserved

angelicbookawards british chicklit complete contemporary cosy debut english finished first fling friends friendstolovers fun love lovers mature new romance seaside slowburn spice spring steam story

Table of contents

32 parts

Sign up to add Better Than Before to your library and receive updates

or

Content Guidelines

You may also like

All The Things We Lost ✔ by originalverbivore

Emily and River meet in Miami, where they have the time of their lives, but it isn't meant to be: the next morning, Emily leaves for San Francisco, leaving both their hearts broken. They don't think they'll ever see each other again. Emily goes back to the privileged life with her parents. There, a plan is set up for her to marry Jason in order to save the business of both their parents. River remains in Miami with his little sister, while struggling to provide a living for them both. It is then that he gets the chance of a lifetime, but it means giving up everything he loves. Then, against all expectations, Emily and River meet again a few months later... On her wedding day with someone else. ***** Featured on WattPad's @StoriesUndiscovered Featured on WattPad's @NA First place Lavender Awards First place Honour Awards First place Glitter Awards First place Blue Rose Awards First place Acheron Awards Second place The Soul Awards Honorable Mention Ohana Awards #8 in #youngromance (September 4, 2020) Cover by @dysanic "So awesome. Can't wait to read more! [heart]" - carolinegraced "I'm so hooked already" - a_lost_feather "From the summary I had a lot of expectation of a one night stand, one and done type of thing with drama to follow up in later chapters. What I got was something different. The beautiful descriptions of the beach town made me feel warm and cozy and kept me reading until these two characters were introduced. I thought their meeting was innocent and sweet, not what I was expecting. It was really good." - CourtneyPeterman0

Charlie Ever After by shumanderz

(Complete) Charlie's life is slowly spiraling out of control. Her mother is useless, her relationship with her boyfriend Gavin is a train wreck and the bruises she has to cover up are all becoming too much for her to bear. Tanner has it all. He has a good home life, three little sisters who adore him and a few really good friends- but when he witnesses something terrible at a party it draws him to someone he'd never expect. The two of them colliding catches them both off guard- but they're both ready to experience something new, and something real. They're both ready for their "happy ever after" **Trigger Warning** Sexual violence, domestic violence, abuse, drugs, alcohol abuse, addiction. This story is meant for a more mature audience. Read at your own risk. There will be graphic scenes as well as foul language etc. 6/9/2021: #1 in Awareness 4/27/2023: #3 in New Adult 5/4/2023: #4 in Slowburn 6/8/2023: #6 in Contemporary Romance 2/23/2024: #1 in Contemporary Romance

Falling into Trouble by SarahLWhite

Brandon Stone works hard during the week and looks forward to a chance to unwind and relax on the weekend. His days of partying like a rock star are finally slipping behind him. An evening at a small bar listening to his friend's band is just what he's looking for as long as his rowdy friends behave. Jaycee Bishop is known for causing trouble. Needing some space from her protective parents, Jaycee packs her bags and moves back to the town she loved when she was young. A night out exploring the town with her new boyfriend should be just the right amount of excitement. When Brandon's friends and Jaycee's group collide in an all out bar fight, the two end up reconnecting in the back of a cop car. Will they fall back into the hostile relationship they had as children, or will they find themselves falling into trouble?

Breaking the Friendzone by authorMayLynn

Lacey is just looking for some fun in the Hamptons, but when Lucas Drake, her best friend turned enemy, shows up smoking hot, fun may be an understatement. "Spectacularly crafted with sizzling heat and irresistible drama, this is a romance that will keep you reeling for more." - Carmen Ho @ HQ ***** Breaking the Friendzone is now published as a Paperback, and E-book with W by Wattpad Books! As a Wattpad reader, you can access both the Wattpad Original Edition and Wattpad Books Published Edition here upon purchase.Thank you so much for your support! ***** Lacey Mason spent her happiest childhood summers in the Hamptons with her family. That was where she met Lucas Drake - days of playing on the beach brought Lacey and Luke to become the best of friends, until a dramatic last encounter ended their friendship. Before Lacey's mom passed away, she warned her that the Drake family was nothing but trouble. Lacey took her warning to heart, but now, at the age of twenty-two, a night of partying in the Hamptons lands her in the bed of her old friend Lucas, and he has no clue who she is. Content and trigger warning: This story contains mature sexual content. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]] Cover designed by Ashley Santoro

Two Tickets to Paradise by BindingTies

When Beth wins two tickets to Hawaii, she accidentally invites the office hottie to join her for what's to become the most sizzling adventure of her life! ***** Fresh off the heels of a heart-wrenching breakup, Beth is looking to pick herself up and get back on the horse. In a stroke of delicious luck, she wins a beautiful vacation to Hawaii! Cue in the sunny beach, yummy cocktails and the chance to completely let her hair down. What Beth doesn't expect is for her boss, Jerry, to turn her relaxing vacay into an opportunity to save her job that's on the line. With all of this going on, Beth drunkenly makes a deal with the office hottie, Russell, to get him to go on this trip with her! What comes next is the most tantalizing adventure of Beth's life. Russell has a hard and fast rule about not dating anyone from the office but Beth drives him to the brink of insanity. And even though they are both healing from past demons, the pull towards each other is so electric and it's a recipe for the most mouth-watering 'work' vacation yet. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]] *Wattpad Featured Story *Seen in Cosmopolitan.com on April 6, 2016! http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/bedroom-blog/a56380/wattpad-on-cosmo-skinny-dipping/ Cover design by April Alforque.

No Reservations (A Romantic Comedy) by Pollyf79

"Here's the thing though . . ." He trails off thoughtfully and then he looks straight at me. His eyes are steely and that makes me realise the fundamental difference between the young Ryan and this Ryan. He's hardened now. The sweet boy I once knew is probably still in there somewhere but life eventually got to him and he had to toughen up. "I need someone I can rely on. I don't want to take a person on who just decides it's too much hassle a few days or weeks in and just . . . Ghosts me." He finishes. There's a definite challenge there. He's not just talking about the job. He's getting a dig in there about the way I disappeared out of his life. As well as implying I'm generally unreliable . . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Iona Stewart is pretty sure she's having a premature midlife crisis. Recently made redundant, permanently unlucky in love, and back living with her parents, she's desperate for a change of scenery. So when an opportunity comes up to work in a hotel in the Highlands, it seems like fate has stepped in. The problem? Her new boss is Ryan Thorne. Her former friend. Her first crush. And the boy who broke her heart nearly 17 years ago. She had no intention of ever seeing him again after that night. And it seems he isn't that keen on having *her* around either. Be prepared for nineties flashbacks, many awkward encounters, and *hopefully* a happy ever after . . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ❤️Second Place in the Chick-Lit category in The Pink Cloud Awards❤️ ❤️Second Place in the Chick-Lit category in The Hibiscus Awards❤️ ❤️Winner of Best Opening in Chick Lit in the Berry Pancake awards❤️ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Complete companion novella entitled "No Reservations: Ryan's Version" is now available*

The Men Next Door by wildfirehoney

✅ Complete ✅ When Campbell Kramer accepted a job offer in Manhattan, she never could've imagined what the city had in store for her. Namely, two handsome men who live on either side of her new apartment. One is older, one is younger. One is introverted, one is extroverted. One is serious, one is playful. Both of them want her attention. What could go wrong? ☲☲☲☲☲ ☆Brooks☆ My neighbor was the one to close the distance between us. She did it quickly--like she was scared the moment would pass away forever if she let another millisecond go by--and I rested my hand on the side of her face to steady her. Something about my touch must have given her courage. ♡Campbell♡ The men finally greeted each other while I snipped the green, woody stems and plopped them into the tallest mug I owned. Their sentences were short and awkward, and as I rearranged the blooms for the umpteenth time, the realization that they'd told each other what happened hit me like a south-bound train. I don't know why I didn't expect that. They were best friends, after all. I was just the girl next door. They had no loyalty to me, no reason to keep our time together a secret. ☆Luca☆ Her lips met mine slowly, softly, hesitantly--like she wasn't so sure kissing her neighbor was the best idea--and I responded just as delicately. But when her hand made its way into the back of my hair, our bodies melded together like a lust-struck alloy. And the only hope of separating us was to add more heat. ☲☲☲☲☲ Featured by: 📙 @Wattpad • Love Triangles 💘😈 (July 2025) • Spicy Summer Reads (July 2024) • Endless Reading Mode 🧡 (Jan 2024) • Summer in the City 🥵 (June 2023) 📕 @Romance • Love Triangle (April 2025) • New Adult (June 2024) 📘 @Ambassadors • Hot Encounters (Dec 2024) 📗 @ChickLit • Rom-Com (Oct 2025) • Ambassador's Picks (Jul 2025) Awards: 🥈 Romance runner-up (The Prime Awards 2023)

Set Me Free by elsetterby

After escaping her past, Miranda finds herself in coastal Maine, and when she meets Owen, she must help him uncover what truly happened to his now-dead ex. ***** On the run from her abusive ex, Miranda Lewis figures a small town in coastal Maine is just the place for her to lay low. There she befriends Claire, the owner of a local cafe, and her son, Owen. A woodworker and musician, he keeps to himself, especially since the town believes he played a part in the disappearance of the town's pride and joy... a skilled artist and his former girlfriend. As the two begin to grow closer, Miranda agrees to help him uncover the truth behind what really happened, especially now that strange things are occurring again, leading all roads back to Owen. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]] Cover designed by Simone Northey

Say I Do by CelesteABrook

[Billionaire / Fake Relationship] The last thing Livy expects is to fall for Logan, the hot but damaged billionaire who wants to help her pay for her dad's medical bills. The catch: they have to pretend to be married for one year! ***** How far would you go to save the only family you've ever known? Olivia, a lifelong optimist, has just graduated from college and is about to start a new job when she gets the earth-shattering news that her dad is ill. Scared, she drops everything and moves home to be with him. While walking on the beach one day, she runs into the most attractive man she has ever laid eyes on. The chemistry between them is sizzling from the first moment. Turns out, he is rich, successful, and battling the demons of a past relationship that has left him broken. But when he finds out that Livy needs help paying for her dad's medical bills, he jumps to her rescue. The catch: they have to pretend to be happily married for at least one year. Enough time for her to get the trust fund money her grandma left her so that she can pay him back, and enough time for him to change his bad boy reputation. But things get complicated when feelings and a burning desire enter the picture. [[word count: 90,000-100,000 words]] Cover designed by Holly Thurston

Unexpected by storiesbykris97

I don't really know what I was expecting, and it sure as hell wasn't this. Whatever this is...it's even better than I could have imagined. The mystery, the anonymity, the sense of excitement that has reawakened something in me that I haven't felt in what seems like a lifetime ago. The way his hands caress my body, his fingers gently tracing along my skin; my lips against his neck and hands in his hair, wanting him the way he wants me... I'm learning to love the unexpected... **** Still recovering from the heartbreak of a failed engagement, Kristine reluctantly agrees to a girls night out. A night that is meant for her to let loose and forget about her unsuccessful dating life, leads Kristine to meet a mysterious stranger who brings her body back to life in ways she didn't believe possible. This unexpected intimate encounter leads to much more with a man she knows only as E. *STORY COMPLETE BUT ACTIVELY EDITING*

You may also like

Slide 1 of 10

All The Things We Lost ✔ cover

Charlie Ever After cover

Falling into Trouble cover

Breaking the Friendzone cover

Two Tickets to Paradise cover

No Reservations (A Romantic Comedy) cover

The Men Next Door cover

Set Me Free cover

Unexpected cover

All The Things We Lost ✔

Emily and River meet in Miami, where they have the time of their lives, but it isn't meant to be: the next morning, Emily leaves for San Francisco, leaving both their hearts broken. They don't think they'll ever see each other again. Emily goes back to the privileged life with her parents. There, a plan is set up for her to marry Jason in order to save the business of both their parents. River remains in Miami with his little sister, while struggling to provide a living for them both. It is then that he gets the chance of a lifetime, but it means giving up everything he loves. Then, against all expectations, Emily and River meet again a few months later... On her wedding day with someone else. ***** Featured on WattPad's @StoriesUndiscovered Featured on WattPad's @NA First place Lavender Awards First place Honour Awards First place Glitter Awards First place Blue Rose Awards First place Acheron Awards Second place The Soul Awards Honorable Mention Ohana Awards #8 in #youngromance (September 4, 2020) Cover by @dysanic "So awesome. Can't wait to read more! [heart]" - carolinegraced "I'm so hooked already" - a_lost_feather "From the summary I had a lot of expectation of a one night stand, one and done type of thing with drama to follow up in later chapters. What I got was something different. The beautiful descriptions of the beach town made me feel warm and cozy and kept me reading until these two characters were introduced. I thought their meeting was innocent and sweet, not what I was expecting. It was really good." - CourtneyPeterman0