Book picks similar to
Surrender the Dark by Donna Kauffman


chick-lit
challenge-17
romance
contemporary-romance

HOT Pursuit


Lynn Raye Harris - 2013
    He broke her heart. He's the only one who can save her life...Evie Baker hasn’t seen Matt Girard in ten years. Not since the night she gave him her virginity. Now the Black Ops soldier is back in town and looking to make things right. Too bad she doesn’t believe a word he says. But when her sister goes missing and Evie’s suddenly a suspect in a murder, Matt’s the only man she can trust to keep her safe.Matt knew Evie wanted forever ten years ago, but all he wanted was escape. He’s older and wiser now, and he knows what matters. He’ll do whatever it takes—break any rules necessary—to protect Evie and find her sister. And then he’ll do everything he can to win his best friend’s heart and prove he’s the man she needs him to be.

One Texas Night (Midnight Whispers Book 1)


Sylvie Kurtz - 1999
    But Melinda has none.Melinda says she can't remember what happened the previous night. Grady knows two things for sure. That a beloved preacher's daughter is dead. And  that Melinda's lawyer father once manipulated Grady to set a murderer free.Grady is the kind of cop who won't stop until he gets answers. With his job on the line, he needs to uncover the truth. Is Melinda's amnesia real? Or is she hiding a terrible secret?To prove she's not a murderer, Melinda will need to uncover the secret hidden in her nightmare-shredded memory. And prove to Grady that she's not her father's daughter.But when someone tries to kill Melinda, Grady can't help wanting to protect her. But when Melinda's memory starts to return, the secret it reveals threatens to destroy them both.

Never Tear Us Apart


Monica Murphy - 2016
    A. Tucker, the first novel in this darkly sexy contemporary series from bestselling author Monica Murphy kicks off an emotionally powerful two-part tale of forbidden love.  A long time ago, when I was fifteen and a completely different person, I saved a girl’s life. I spent only a handful of hours with her, but somehow, we connected—and I’ve never been the same. No one understands what we went through. No one knows what it’s like to be us. We survived, yet I don’t feel like I’m really living—until now. Eight years later, I find her. I want to make her mine. I need to make her mine.  But she’ll hate me forever when she finds out who I really am.

The McKenzie Artifact


Alison Kent - 2005
    Not being able to move on the Spectra scum right away was torture for the tough-but-compassionate superspy. But that wasn't the only problem-someone on the inside was slowly poisoning Eli, clouding his judgment and forcing him to make an abrupt trip back to the Smithson Group's headquarters to heal. Now, Eli's ready to return...with a vengeance. It seems his quick departure left a private investigator named Stella Banks in some hot water. Spectra operatives have nabbed the nosy Stella and are awaiting word on how to handle her disposal. Eli knows the only way to save her life and his is to reveal himself to Stella and get her to trust him. Seeing the way Stella takes care of the frightened girls melts Eli's armor, and soon, they find that the best way to survive this brutal assignment is to steal time in each other's arms. It's a bliss Eli's intent on keeping, no matter what he has to do to protect it. Because Eli McKenzie has unfinished business with Spectra-and with the woman who has renewed his heart-and this is one man who always finishes what he starts...(Note: This is a novella, not a full-length novel. For more information, see author's website.)

Dark Lessons


Julia Sykes - 2017
    That’s all it was supposed to be. So when my darkly domineering one-night stand turns out to be one of my instructors at Quantico, my life becomes far too complicated. I’m training as an FBI agent, but Jason has other forms of training in mind. Like bending me over his desk for a spanking.I try to resist him, but soon we’re stealing forbidden hours of lust when no one’s watching. It could cost us both our careers, but I can’t help myself. He’s broken, and I want to be his salvation.In return, he says he wants to protect me, to love me. But can he save me when my new job puts me directly in the path of danger?

Ruin & Rule


Pepper Winters - 2015
    The in-between world where time had no power over reason. We fell in love. We fell hard. But then we woke up. And it was over . . ."RUIN & RULEShe is a woman divided. Her past, present, and future are as twisted as the lies she's lived for the past eight years. Desperate to get the truth, she must turn to the one man who may also be her greatest enemy . . . He is the president of Pure Corruption MC. A heartless biker and retribution-deliverer. He accepts no rules, obeys no one, and lives only to reap revenge on those who wronged him. And now he has stolen her, body and soul.Can a woman plagued by mystery fall in love with the man who refuses to face the truth? And can a man drenched in darkness forgo his quest for vengeance-and finally find redemption?

Wilde Nights in Paradise


Tonya Burrows - 2013
    Although she makes it clear she wants nothing to do with Jude, they’re forced to fake a relationship for her safety. He can’t ignore the heat still simmering between them, and when her stalker’s threats escalate to attempted murder, he’s left with no choice but to whisk her away to a friend’s safe house in Key West, FL. Cooped up in paradise together, Jude begins to chip away at Libby’s resolve to hate him. But even as she gives in to his proximity and her body’s demands for his, she refuses to fall for his charms again. Maybe a torrid affair in the sun is exactly what she needs to get him out of her system. But when her stalker tracks them down, can they escape the steamy Key West night without anyone getting hurt?

Risking Trust


Casey Diam - 2018
    . . PAIGEShattered, cold, and numb.That’s all I’ve felt since my family was murdered. Still, five years later, it’s hard to breathe, to focus, and to trust anyone. Until I meet him, Caleb Conner. With him, life feels more alive, less scary—despite how strong, lethal, and extremely sexy he is. He’s everything I shouldn’t want, let alone trust. But it’s now or never, and it’s been a long time coming.It’s time for me to welcome danger. I’m finally ready—and willing. After all, Caleb is all that I crave. CALEBAn opportunity. A target. On my father’s radar.I should avoid her at all cost. But Paige Sawyer draws me in, and pushes my boundaries.With her, I am teetering between darkness and light. The truth is, I’m connected to the one person who wants her dead.I’m determined to protect her—save her from them. But is she ready to risk everything, and trust a trained assassin who has never been in love?Book ONE of THREE in the Danger and Attraction Trilogy. Previously Titled, Trust in the THINGS THAT MATTER SERIES now named the DANGER AND ATTRACTION SERIES! If you like broken heroes, and a sexy, suspenseful romance filled with twists and turns, then you will love Casey Diam’s exhilarating trilogy, Danger & Attraction.

Mr. and Mr. Smith


HelenKay Dimon - 2016
    As a covert paramilitary operative, his job—and his life—depends on it. He’s at the top of his game, ready for action and always in control. No enemy has ever brought him to his knees, but one lover has: Zachary Allen, the man currently sharing his bed. The perfect package of brains and brawn, Zach is someone worth coming home to, and Fisher hates keeping him in the dark about what he does. But the lies keep Zach safe. Until the day Fisher loses everything. . . .   Zachary Allen is no innocent civilian. Although he plays the tech geek, in reality he’s deep undercover for the CIA. In a horrible twist of fate, the criminal enterprise he’s infiltrated has set its sights on the man whose touch drives him wild. Zach would do anything for Fisher—except blow his own cover. Now, in order to save him, Zach must betray him first. And he needs Fisher to trust him with all his heart if they want to make it out alive.  Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

The Lucky Dress


Aimee Brown - 2017
    an irresistibly hilarious rom-com: perfect for fans of Anna Bell, Jo Watson and Sophie Kinsella. Emi Harrison hasn't been feeling particularly lucky lately. Ever since her ex-fiancée, Jack Cabot, successfully shattered her heart into a million pieces. She's managed to avoid him for a whole year, but all that's about to change at her brother Evan's wedding... She will have to face Jack, Jack's sister, Jack's parents, and Jack's new girlfriend: a mean girl that just won't quit. What could possibly go wrong? But with her lucky dress on, she might just find new love, life, and maybe even happiness at last!

Six of Hearts


L.H. Cosway - 2014
    Mentalist. Trickster. I think in triangles. You think in straight lines.I show you a table and make you believe it’s a chair.Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, misdirection. I trick and deceive.But most of all, I put on a good show.The world thinks I killed a man, but I didn't. Bear with me. It’s all a part of the plan.Revenge is what I want. I want it for me and I want it for her.I want it for all six of us.She doesn't remember me, but she’s the reason for everything. She’ll be my prize at the end of all this–if I can hold onto my willpower, that is. Maybe I’ll slip up a little, have a taste, just a small one.So go ahead and pick a card. Come inside and see the show. Look at my hands, look so closely that you can’t see what’s happening while you’re so focused on looking. I’ll be destroying your world from right here in the spotlight.You’ll never see me coming until it’s too late.I've only got one heart, and after I've pulled off my grand deception I’ll hand it right to her.So, sit back, relax, and let my girl tell you our story. You’re in for one hell of a ride.

Sweet Girl


Cristin Harber - 2014
     Nicola Hart grew up under the heels of her older brother and his sexy best friend, Cash Garrison. Years of ignoring her spark with Cash has transformed their friendship into a slow burning sizzle. One night with him could ruin everything. Or it could be more than she ever dreamed. They play. They flirt. But they haven't crossed the line because too much is at stake. Family. Friendship. And the deepest kind of love that she'd have to be crazy to walk away from. She's his best friend's little sister. The definition of hands off. Cash has tried to ignore her for years. Those innocent eyes and her smile that screams kiss-me-if-you-dare... Instead, he's looked at every pretty little thing who's crossed his path, all to ignore the girl he seems destined to want. But when his hard partying ways get old and everyone at school is interested in Nicola, it's time to stake a claim. To make Nicola his girl, no matter the risks, and hold the hand of the one he really loves.

Corps Security: The Series


Harper Sloan - 2015
    These six novels follow their lives as they take a chance at love. Can love truly conquer all? From broken souls to broken hearts, they all will find out if they'll get their second chance at happily ever afters and that love really is worth fighting for.Axel (Corps Security, #1)Cage (Corps Security, #2)Beck (Corps Security, #3)Uncaged (Corps Security, #3.5)Cooper (Corps Security, #4)Locke (Corps Security, #5)

Code of Honor


Missy Johnson - 2015
    At twenty-three, he’s survived tragedies that would break men twice his age. And he owes it all to his father’s closest friend, Giovanni Spontagio, who took him in as an orphaned teenager. Pietro would give his life for Giovanni . . . but his heart belongs to Giovanni’s daughter. Raised in Chicago under the spotlight of power and privilege, Lucy Spontiago feels most alive on stage. Determined to become a prima ballerina, she escapes her father’s protective gaze long enough to audition for the ballet in New York City. Soon, however, Lucy realizes that she is not alone. Pietro is watching her back. And though he’s like a brother to her, Lucy cannot deny the thrill she feels knowing his eyes are on her. Pietro could never betray his mentor by sleeping with his only child. But Lucy follows her passions, no matter how forbidden. Soon their nights are consumed by explosive, red-hot temptation—a dance that will expose shocking secrets and burn everything else to the ground.

Ellie's Wounded Heroes


Marla Monroe - 2014
    Ellie knows she is in over her head. She cares deeply for both men. She’s afraid it will cause problems between them.When the men get involved with a family in crisis, they asked Ellie to help since she is a social worker. But things get out of hand and Clark is nearly killed saving her life. Rex feels that his amputation means he can’t take care of Ellie like he wants to. He decides that having two men to care for her would work and convinces Clark to give a shared relationship a try. After all, Clark thinks he’s too emotionally damaged to ever be able to get married.Both men have lingering issues from their time in the service, since being medically discharged, but that isn’t the problem for Ellie. She doesn’t want to have choose between them. Does she have to?