Book picks similar to
The Stranger (Heroes of Heyday, #3) by Kathleen O'Brien


romance
source-openlibrary
booklength-200-pgs
trope-secondchance

The O'Malley Collection


Dee Henderson - 2016
    They have chosen their own surname, O’Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit.Danger in the Shadows (prequel):Sara is terrified. She’s doing the one thing she cannot afford to do: fall in love with former pro-football player Adam Black, a man everyone knows. Sara’s been hidden away in the witness protection program, her safety dependent on staying invisible—and loving Adam could get her killed!#1 The NegotiatorFBI agent Dave Richman from Danger in the Shadows is back. He’s about to meet Kate O’Malley, and his life will never be the same. She’s a hostage negotiator. He protects people. He’s about to find out that falling in love with a hostage negotiator is one thing, but keeping her safe is another!#2 The GuardianA federal judge has been murdered. There is only one witness, and an assassin wants her dead. U.S. Marshall Marcus O’Malley thought he knew the risks of the assignment . . . but he was wrong.#3 The Truth SeekerWomen are turning up dead, and Lisa O’Malley has a habit of walking into crime scenes, curious. She’s a forensic pathologist, and mysteries are her domain. U.S. marshall Quinn Diamond has found loving her is easier than keeping her safe. Lisa’s found the killer, and now she’s missing too.#4 The ProtectorJack O’Malley is a fireman who is fearless when it comes to facing an inferno. But when an arsonist begins targeting his district, his shift, his friends, Jack faces the ultimate challenge: protecting the lady who saw the arsonist before she pays an even higher price.#5 The HealerRachel O’Malley works disasters for a living. Her specialty? Helping children through trauma. When a school shooting rips through her community, she finds herself dealing with more than just grief among the children she is trying to help. One of them saw the shooting, and the gun is still missing.#6 The RescuerStephen O’Malley is a paramedic who has been rescuing people all his life. His friend Meghan is in trouble: Stolen jewels are turning up in interesting places, and she’s in the middle of it. Stephen is about to run into a night he will never forget—a kidnapping, a tornado, and a race to rescue the woman he loves.

The Black Sheep's Inheritance


Maureen Child - 2014
    But when J.D. Lassiter leaves a fortune to his private nurse in his will and cheats his own daughter of her rightful inheritance…Sage is enraged, to say the least. He's sure nurse Colleen Falkner isn't the innocent she appears. And he's willing to go to any lengths to expose her…even seduction. But using sex—crazed, incredible sex—to find out what she knows could backfire. Because Colleen is not what Sage expected. And like it or not, she's about to demolish all the barriers he's carefully constructed around his heart.

Just A Step Away


Flora Roberts - 2013
    Yes, ladies and gents, Lanie is riding high on life. But there's just one problem. When her cousin called her and asked Lanie to plan her wedding, she knew it was going to be a disaster. She hasn’t been back home in over five years, and her family is out of control crazy. All of them. With her cousin's wedding looming, Lanie has to make a pivotal decision. She needs to find a date; a boyfriend to be exact. She needs to find some poor bastard willing to pretend to be madly in love with her for an entire week. The only downside is Lanie is convinced that no one is pathetic enough to take her up on her offer. Lucas Sparks, aka Sparky, is the epitome of every woman's wet dream. And he knows it. Born into a family of wealth and privilege, Lucas has never wanted for anything. Well, that was until he was given the opportunity to share an apartment with Lanie, the one woman that has never fallen at his feet and begged for all that he could give her. The same woman that acts like he doesn't exist. Even all the money in the world wouldn't be enough to make his humble roommate fall in love with him. When he is given the chance to spend a weekend away in the country with a woman he fantasizes about on a daily basis, he’s determined to do whatever is necessary to go along for the ride, even if it means pretending to be her man.But playing pretend can be a dangerous game, and considering the circumstances, Lanie and Lucas just might have signed up for more than they bargained for.

The Story of Us


Susan Wiggs - 2010
    But all that changed one day when a gorgeous stranger with ocean blue eyes rode into tiny Edenville, Texas, on a Harley. Grace knew in her heart that the chance meeting was just the beginning of a grand new adventure....Don't miss this prequel story to bestselling author Susan Wiggs's novel, "The Ocean Between Us"!

Remember Me


Marion Ueckermann - 2019
     What she most needed was right there in front of her all along. At the age of thirteen, Clarise Aylward and her two best friends each pen a wish list of things they want to achieve. Deciding to bury a tin containing their life goals, the friends vow to unearth the metal box once they’ve all turned forty. But as the decades pass and each girl chases her dreams, the lists are forgotten. Heath Brock has been in love with Clarise for over twenty-seven years and counting. As a young man, he’d plucked up the courage to ask her out on a Valentine’s date, but the couple succumbed to pent-up passions, sending Clarise dashing for the other side of the country. Years after Clarise’s sudden departure, Heath serves as youth pastor. He’d held out hope of Clarise’s return, but buries his feelings for his childhood sweetheart when he learns she’s married. Almost penniless, divorced, and with nowhere to go, Clarise returns home to Chapel Cove, her future uncertain. She’s approaching forty with her dreams in tatters. When old feelings resurface, Clarise wonders whether she’s ever really fallen out of love with Heath. What’s the man of God to do when his old flame returns, seemingly to stay? With Clarise back in town, Heath is determined not to repeat past mistakes, but if he has anything to say about it, never again will he lose the only woman he’s ever loved.

A Cowboy To Keep


Hebby Roman - 2017
    Keep a cowboy ...Don't miss this great collection from USA Today, Amazon Bestselling, and Award-Winning authors!!THE LEGEND OF BAD MOON RISING by Carra CopelinSheriff Ben Hammond is finally over the woman who shattered his heart, but when Dinah Horne suddenly returns, can he ignore the passion still burning bright between them?CITY BOY, COUNTRY HEART by Andrea DowningTrading horses for subways for two years seemed like a good idea to cowboy Chay Ridgway, but can city girl K.C. Daniels keep a rein on his country heart?BLUE SAGE by Kristy McCaffreyArchaeologist Audrey Driggs rolls off a mountain and lands at the feet of rugged cowboy Braden Delaney. Together, they'll uncover a long-lost secret.THE DRIFTER'S KISS by Devon McKayDetermined to take back what belongs to her, Addison Reed will do anything. Even trust a complete stranger.HER MAN by Hildie McQueenDeputy Mark Hunter falls for Eliza Brock during a murder investigation. Is it fate or bad luck, especially when she may be involved?BORDER ROMANCE by Hebby RomanWidow Leticia Villarreal wants to establish a horse-racing stable and old acquaintance John Clay Laidlaw offers to help. But can she trust him with her business and her heart?PHOENIX HEAT by Patti Sherry-CrewsAfter losing her fiancé and her New York City business, Harper Donovan returns to Arizona and meets cowboy Frank Flynn. Will his past and their differences extinguish the heat between them?

Christmas with the McRaes


Teresa Hill - 2014
    ******************************************** TWELVE DAYS -- Book 1 Twelve Days before Christmas, Rachel McRae opens her front door and a social worker puts a baby in her arms -- one who comes with a four-year-old boy and an eleven-year-old girl -- siblings abandoned and in need of a temporary home. Rachel and her husband, Sam, have dreamed of a house filled with children -- a dream that has led them to repeated heartbreak. Sam McRae has finally decided the only thing left to do is leave his wife. Reluctantly, Rachel and Sam take the children in, but just until after Christmas. They will do their best not to fall in love with them, not to get their hopes up that this time a miracle will happen. That these children will stay, and that their marriage can still be saved. ******************************************** EDGE OF HEAVEN -- Book 2 She looks at him and thinks, "Please don't let him be more than twenty-five." He looks at her and thinks, "Please let her be at least twenty-five." Neither one of them is. And that's only one of their problems. Rye is a man with an ugly past. He didn't come to Baxter, Ohio, looking for a woman, but there she was. Emma is pretty and sweet, and the kind of woman he'd always wanted, but never dreamed he could have. Her innocence and vulnerability tugs at Rye's weary heart, and the sizzling sexual pull between them can't be ignored. But Emma has a dangerous ex-boyfriend, plus an outraged, overprotective father with a family connection that dooms Rye and Emma's relationship from the start. That and Rye's dangerous past make it seem impossible for them to have a future together. ******************************************** BED OF LIES -- Book 3 One very bad night, after more than a few drinks, the most perfect guy in the world falls apart and ends up in bed with Julie. She understands. It happens. It doesn’t mean anything, she says, but she’s lying to herself. It blows up her life and his — a specialty of Julie’s. Growing up, Zach McRae was her best friend's older brother, sweet, protective and perfect. He shows up out of the blue at her engagement dinner and instantly sees right through all the lies she's told herself. Like that she's fine, even happy and right where she wants to be. Zach, also, is no longer the perfect guy of her childhood, although he’s trying desperately not to let it show. His life is increasingly and uncharacteristically out of control. It’s time for he and Julie to face some hard truths from their past, plus puzzling ones from their present. Like that they can’t stop thinking about each other, can’t stop wanting each other, and can’t stop ending up in bed together. ******************************************** BONUS NOVELLA ONLY AVAILABLE IN THIS BOX SET: WELCOME LIZZIE Catch up with the whole McRae family as its newest member, Emma & Rye's daughter, Lizzie, is born. Also, get a sneak peak at the hero and heroine of Teresa Hill's New Adult series, McRaes/Next Generation, featuring Emma & Rye's oldest daughter, Dana, and Zach's fiancée's younger brother, Peter, coming in early 2015 in Saving Myself For You. (Dear Readers, Welcome Lizzie takes place a few months after Bed of Lies ends and well before the next book in the series, Five Days Grace, begins.

Kit and Kisses


Karen Rose Smith - 1997
    She never gets involved with clients. But Greyson Corey is both challenging and too hunky for words. Is he as down-to-earth and honest as he seems? Change is difficult for him but Kit is resilient enough to present the facts in a way that nudges him in the right direction. Yet when he turns in her direction and chemistry seems to take over, she stops short and takes a deep breath. Kit was fooled by a con man who stole her financial well being...but more importantly her sense of trust. Although it's easy for others to put trust in her—in business, in the volunteer program she started to bring pets together with sick children—her sense of trust in men has been destroyed. She is so attracted to Grey she can hardly see straight. And his first kiss could lead to passion she has only dreamed of. But her barriers are high and strong and the con man lurks in her background. When Grey has commitments that he won't explain, Kit's radar senses trouble. She won't fall in love with a man with secrets. Grey has his own walls to climb. His sister has special needs. Although she is now living in a group home, he is responsible for her. He loves Deedee and will protect her until his dying day. A previous relationship ended because the woman he dated couldn't accept Deedee's role in his life. How can he trust that Kit will be any different? Two people search for the meaning of love in a real world. Can a few mind-boggling kisses lead to happily-ever-after? Only if they can trust as well as love.

Unexpectedly Yours


Coleen Kwan - 2016
    Now that Hannah is back in their hometown and newly single, suddenly the five-year age gap doesn’t seem so huge. But convincing her to see him as more than just the kid she used to know is another story.Hannah Willmett can’t believe how grown-up Derek Carmichael has become. The troubled kid from her youth has turned into a sexy, successful TV celebrity, but Hannah’s wary of his player past and the rampant rumors connecting him to beautiful socialites. Still, she can’t help but give in when their attraction reaches a boiling point.Trying to keep their fling a secret from her overprotective brother is one thing, but when Hannah finds herself unexpectedly expecting, her life is thrown upside down. She and Derek may be becoming parents together, but that’s no basis for a happily-ever-after.

In the Arms of Danger


Marie Higgins - 2012
    A week later her hopes were crushed when she finds out her new husband, Cory Ross, was a hit man. When she witnesses him take another man’s life then watches her new found love fall from a cliff after being shot, her heart shatters. Now she sees Cory Ross is alive – and back in her life as her own personal bodyguard, yet how can she trust him?Cory thought his luck had changed after his near death experience in the Bahamas. But when he looks into the eyes of the woman who he suspects had something to do with his accident, he realizes his new assignment to protect Taylor and her young daughter will be a literal nightmare. But to fall in love all over again with Taylor Marshall will be sheer torture.

Hot Texas Nights


Janice Maynard - 2019
    They’re working together on the new Texas Cattleman’s Club in Houston. Why not leave the friend zone and have a little fun? But their no-strings fling deepens when Ethan steps in as her fake fiancé…to keep her father from forcing her to marry! Will Aria gamble her heart in this high-stakes game?

Rock-A-Bye Baby


Debbie Macomber - 2016
    Against his wishes, John Osborn’s mother hires an assistant for his antiques shop. One glance and John knows that Dani is unsuitable—she’s too pretty, off-beat and vivacious for the business. John is certain that she won’t last past the summer in his sleepy seaside town. But Dani is determined to prove herself so she can rebuild her life and repair her broken heart, and she’s going to do it in Ocean Shores. The store sparks her creativity, even if a vintage cradle uncomfortably awakens her buried longing for a family of her own. Her warmth and empathy make her a natural at sales, and despite himself, John starts to like her. But John was deeply wounded by the only woman he ever thought he’d love, so he keeps himself buttoned up and guarded. He may have to admit that Dani is the best thing that’s ever happened to the store…but is she also the best thing that’s ever happened to him?

Night Fire / Night Shadow / Night Storm


Catherine Coulter - 2002
    

Falling for You


Jessica Gilmore - 2017
    So what if her life is a little too safe? Marietta is everything to Lacey. Not only is she helping to organize the Bachelor Bake-Off and filming a documentary about the process, she’s also volunteered her brother as a Bachelor. But, when her brother backs out, Lacey has to find a last-minute replacement. And who better than her aunt’s lodger, gorgeous – if taciturn – Zac Malone?Zac’s not exactly community-minded. In fact, he makes it clear that the sooner he’s out of Marietta the better. But when Lacey persuades him of the powerful impact the Bake-Off funds will have on local children, he decides to give it a go. On one condition. If he has to learn to bake, so does disaster-in-the-kitchen Lacey. Desserts aren’t the only thing heating up, and as the attraction flares and Zac makes plans to leave, Lacey’s beginning to realize that maybe there is a world beyond Marietta’s borders after all… if she’s brave enough to take that step.*previously titled Baking for Keeps

At Odds with the Heiress


Cat Schield - 2013
    Actress turned casino mogul Scarlett Fontaine uses her beauty to get what she wants. But it doesn't work with Logan Wolfe. Now the infuriatingly gorgeous security expert needs her help. Finally, Scarlett sees her chance to show him she's more than just a pretty face. Yet when her safety's at stake, their flirtatious games turn serious. Scarlett suddenly needs him, too. As things heat up, their steamy kisses—and steamier nights—make her wonder: Is the man who has always tormented her finally showing his true colors?