Book picks similar to
Lawfully Matched by Lorana Hoopes
christian-historical-romance
cowboy
suspense
first-reads
An Old Love's Shadow
Abby Gray - 1999
She’s on a charitable mission, by damn, and that rowdy cantina next door is drowning out her gospel singing. The clash with the sexy-as-hell man who runs the cantina hits with enough force to burn down the small Mexican town.
What happens in Mexico…
Is supposed to stay in Mexico but Hunter can’t get that blonde with the ice blue eyes out of his mind when he goes home to Texas. Finding her isn’t the problem. Convincing her that he’s interested—well, that’s another story. Mercy tried to get over Hunter, especially when she found out about his past. She had two choices: move on or give him one more chance because no other man should have to live in an old love’s shadow. If you liked Carolyn Brown’s books, Love Is, Trouble in Paradise, The Wager or The Yard Rose, you will love An Old Love’s Shadow.
The Judge
Farin Powell - 2016
The story is impressive in the way it shifts readers’ sympathies … a gem of a legal thriller, full of plot twists and juicy secrets.” —Kirkus Reviews “Powell’s third novel, a legal thriller, reveals the complexities and tragedies of our criminal justice system. It shows how a series of unexpected events can force a law abiding individual to choose a criminal path. The story in this fast-paced novel will stay with the reader forever.” —Focus On Women Magazine From the courtroom to the kidnappers’ lair, Powell keeps the excitement in tune with a pitch-perfect delivery of realistically motivated characters and a nonstop series of powerfully tense situations. There is no lag in the book, from the opening pages depicting the kidnapping to the thrilling conclusion. ROSE GARRETT —Clarion Reviews As Judge Walter McNeil heads home from Washington, DC’s Superior Court, he is preoccupied with the triple-murder case assigned to him. But everything changes when a car pulls up next to him and a man asks for directions. Seconds later, McNeil is pushed into the backseat of the car, knocked unconscious, and whisked away into uncertainty. McNeil’s kidnappers are three ex-convicts whose lives have been ruined by the judge’s harsh sentences. Out for revenge, they feed the judge drugs, repeatedly threaten his life, and then imply they have his teenage daughter, Daphne, who disappeared four years earlier. After they tell him at gunpoint that he must rule favorably on a defense attorney’s motions in the triplemurder case, McNeil has no idea his ordeal is just beginning. Before it is over, the judge’s life will be turned upside down. Now it is up to criminal defense attorney Amanda Perkins and detective Aristo Manfredi to partner together in a race against time to unravel the clues and hopefully save the judge from a fate he never could have imagined. In this legal thriller, a judge is kidnapped and thrust into the midst of a twisted web that intertwines him with the lives of three ex-convicts and the mystery surrounding his missing daughter.
Federal Agent Under Fire
Julie Anne Lindsey - 2018
Now the madman has attacked Marissa Lane. She escaped with her life…and some clues that could help Blake. Yet she is still the object of the killer’s obsession. And Blake is torn between the unquenching need to catch his prey and a deep desire to protect the woman he can’t possibly keep.
Night of the Coyote (The Coyote Saga, #1)
Ron Schwab - 2015
It’s now 1875, however, and there has been peace in this part of Wyoming for several years, and Ethan has settled down in the small town of Lockwood. No longer working in stealth, he is the town’s lone lawyer. When two young Sioux are lynched by a makeshift posse for a crime they may or may not have committed, Ethan knows he must act quickly to prevent a bloody retaliation from their Sioux tribe. Can he gain the trust of both his former enemy and the townspeople of Lockwood so that there is enough time to unravel the mystery of the crime and ensure justice is fairly served? In Night of the Coyote, the worlds of the old and new collide, and the clock is ticking for Ethan to prevent a further descent into violence.
COMEBACK GIRL: part 4 of 6
Stephanie Bond - 2018
In her attempts to clear her childhood home, she uncovers information about the disappearance of her best friend ten years ago. A small town family drama of humor, dysfunction, and mystery!This COMEBACK GIRL, Part 4 novella is a month's worth of daily segments: OCTOBERThe Part 1 novella is JULY, Part 2 is AUGUST, Part 3 is SEPTEMBER, Part 4 is OCTOBER, Part 5 is NOVEMBER, part 6 is DECEMBER.(In total there are 6 parts to COMEBACK GIRL.)
Don't miss out on this intriguing story everyone is talking about!
Rocky Mountain Oasis
Lynnette Bonner - 2009
If she survived Uncle Jackson, she can survive anyone.When Sky Jordan hears that his nefarious cousin has sent for a mail-order bride, he knows he has to prevent the marriage. No woman deserves to be left to that fate. Still, he’s as surprised as anyone to find himself standing next to her before the minister.Brooke’s new husband turns out to be kinder than any man has ever been. But then the unthinkable happens and she holds the key that might save innocent lives but destroy Sky all in one fell swoop. It’s a choice too unbearable to contemplate…but a choice that must be made.A thirsty soul. Alluring hope. An Oasis of love.Step into a day when outlaws ran free, the land was wild, and guns blazed at the drop of a hat.
Summer in the Bayou
Caroline Mickelson - 2016
James (AKA manners columnist Miss Prim & Proper) heads to Sinful, Louisiana to stay with her frail, elderly great-aunt Ida Belle, a woman she's never met. What better place to hide than a sleepy little southern bayou town where nothing ever happens? But when the bullets start to fly, she soon discovers that her aunt Ida Belle and friends are anything but feeble, and that Sinful is anything but quiet. When the corpse of a scorned suitor goes missing, Stephanie decides her best hope to escape a murder rap is to join forces with Swamp Team Three.
The Transformation of the Bashful Lady
Fanny Finch - 2020
Neglected by her mother after her father’s death, she lacks the knowledge of social etiquette and proper appearances. But her life will change when she receives proper tutelage from a strange lady.Andrew Clayton, the Marquess of Somerset, is a sworn bachelor, as he had his heart broken once already. But when he witnesses the transformation of a timid girl into a dazzling woman, his views on marriage will fly out of the window.But Sarah is not the only one trying to win Andrew’s heart and her rival will use everything in her arsenal to eliminate the competition…*If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “The Transformation of the Bashful Lady”!
Fallback
David Archer - 2017
Losing his father at sixteen had been bad enough, but then facing the betrayal of his fiance--a girl who had been his best friend and sweetheart for as long as he could remember--was even worse. Then, just when he thought life couldn't get worse, his lifelong dream of being a cop was blocked by a hiring freeze in his home city of Denver, Colorado. With no other real options, Sam joined the Army and went after MP training, but even that wasn't enough to get him back into the swing of things. It was only after he got back home and finally made it onto the force that he began to feel like he might make it after all--and then he met a beautiful woman who seemed to think he was ideal. Maybe things were looking up.
He Made Me (a Booker & Cash Story Book 2)
Oliver Tidy - 2017
Someone is demanding a lot of money from her husband and she wants to know why.What do the dying words of one man - he made me - actually mean?As the mystery unfolds people will come undone and reputations will be ruined before the answer becomes clear.At the end of the day Mrs Swaine might end up wishing she’d let sleeping dogs lie…
Also available in the Booker & Cash series:
Bad Sons
Christmas at the Cabin
J.L. Drake - 2020
No amount of secrets or heartache will stop love and warmth from shining through this broken family. Festive music, a fancy drink, and a glass shower to gawk through at her steaming-hot detective is all Spencer needs this holiday season. Not to mention her traditional hunt for the perfect Christmas tree with her Uncle G. However, things quickly go south when a good deed turns into a massive fail, leaving one living room in an interesting predicament. But with the holiday spirit high on everyone’s list, fun and laughter prevail, making this Christmas one for the books.
Mama's Madness
Billy Ray Chitwood - 2018
Some of the details in this fictional penning are true. Some of the details are exaggerated and are simply the work of the author's imagination. What is clearly evidenced in this novel is the coldness of a mother's heart and the madness of her cruelty. The mind cannot comprehend lives the children depicted here were forced to endure: from black punishment closets of hell, kitchen tables used for crudely performed operations, to a high sierra execution by fire. The terror is real. The pain is vicariously felt. Unbelievable? Yes, it is unbelievable that such depravity, such MAMA'S MADNESS exists in our world. Accept the embellishments with the truth.Let this novel be a 'silent siren' to be ever alert in your environment - children and adults alike!
A Perilous Road to her Heart
Carol Colyer - 2020
All she ever wanted is to meet a promising young man to fall in love with. To her surprise, a secret admirer gives her hope for the first time that true love actually exists. Little did she know that her world would soon fall apart and her priorities would change drastically as her brother gets unexpectedly kidnapped. Based on the rustlers' demand, she has to be the one delivering the ransom money. Against her will, though, deputy Heath decides to accompany her to this dangerous mission. Will she find the courage to bridge her differences with the one man in town she doesn't like, in order to save her only brother?As the deputy in Charlesland, Heath Jackson is really passionate about his role while at the same time he takes care of his parents. Ever since his older sister passed away in a horrible accident, his parents have been in a constant depressed state which has seriously concerned him. What brightens his day is the girl of his dreams and his best friend's little sister, Lottie, however, he hasn't been able to express his love for her sincerely. Unbeknownst to them, fate and ruthless criminals will finally bring them closer together. Will he be able to save his friend and protect Lottie during this risky quest? Will he declare his true feelings to the woman he loves?When it all comes to a terrifying clash, lives are hanging on a ledge, while both Lottie and Heath will be forced to admit what they really mean to each other. Will the opportunity ever come for them to be together? Will Lottie ultimately choose a romance with her secret admirer or with her childhood nemesis?"A Perilous Road to her Heart" is a historical western romance novel of approximately 60,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.