Book picks similar to
Like No One Else by Maureen Smith


romance
african-american-romance
aa-romance
suspense-romance

I'll Be Your Shelter


Giselle Carmichael - 2003
    Hunted by the gunmen, an attempt is made on her life and she is forced into police protection. Detective Harrison Blake, one of the city's finest, is appointed lead detective on the downtown murder case. Prepared as always for just about anthing when it comes to murder, the seasoned detective is completely caught off guard by his instant attraction to the witness. To make matters worse, she's the ex-wife of his nemesis, the district attorney. However, neither the differences in their races nor their painful pasts can keep the attraction between the two from blossoming. When another attempt is made on Jillian's life, Harrison will risk it all, even his most guarded secret, for the woman he loves in I'll Be Your Shelter.

Warnings & Wildfires


Autumn Jones Lake - 2018
    I'm no one's white knight, but when I see damsel in distress, I have to rescue her.I didn't know it would be Aubrey Dorado, the girl I swore was off-limits. Now she's under my skin and I can't get her out of my head. So, I did the worst thing possible and hired her to work in my gym. Lusting after my new employee breaks my number one rule. But each day she tempts me with her sweet personality, curvy body, and clever mind.I've been burned by love before. Romance is a risk I can't afford. But how much longer can I resist the attraction simmering between us? Warnings and Wildfires is a standalone contemporary romance from the author of the Lost Kings MC series.

Sweet Little Lies


Michele Grant - 2011
    Witnessing Christina and her fiance arguing, Steven Williams comes to her defence. But it is not the last encounter they will have."

Stay


Ivy Symone - 2016
    From the castle-like mansion she dwelled in to the fancy jewels she adorned; she had it all. She was the mother of two beautiful children whom she simply adored, and she was surrounded by a slew of servants who praised and worshipped her like she was royalty. Her fairytale life was every girl’s dream come true. But she never thought her shining knight in armor would come in the form of a megalomaniac! Zino Okonjo has been proclaimed by many to be a powerful and ruthless “street financier”. A man like Zino doesn’t sit back and play by the rules others make; it’s his way or no way. Exerting his dominance, he takes Frankee in exchange for a debt owed; it changes her life instantly. Four years later, Frankee still hasn’t accepted her fate and want to reconnect with the man she was taken from. An opportunity presents itself and she makes a dash for her freedom to reunite with her ex, Antwan. This was his chance to reclaim the woman that was rightfully his. Not only will Antwan get his woman back, but it’s time for him to exact revenge on the man he loathe the most: Zino.

Illusion


J.S. Cooper - 2014
    Cooper introduces the Swept Away series—three new, dark and sexy romances about a woman marooned on a desert island with a mysterious stranger—but is he friend or foe?The day started like every other day... Bianca London finds herself kidnapped and locked up in a van with a strange man. Ten hours later, they’re dumped on a deserted island. Bianca has no idea what’s going on and her attraction to this stranger is the only thing keeping her fear at bay. Jakob Bradley wants only to figure out why they’ve been left on the island and how they can get off. But as the days go by, he can’t ignore his growing fascination with Bianca. In order to survive, Bianca and Jakob must figure out how they’re connected, but as they grow closer, secrets are revealed that may destroy everything they thought they knew about each other.

Dangerous Waters


Toni Anderson - 2012
    As she investigates the crime, Holly soon realizes the sleepy town is rife with secrets. But what unsettles her most is the residents’ insistence that she bears a striking resemblance to the victim of a murder from three decades earlier. She shrugs off the uncanny likeness as a coincidence. But her simmering attraction to Finn Carver, one of the divers who discovered the corpse, isn’t so easy to ignore.Finn, a former Special Forces soldier, knows it’s best to keep his distance from Holly. Yet it isn’t long before they both give in to the consuming desire they share. And as the danger escalates, Finn and Holly must rely on each other to thwart the plans of a cold-blooded killer who’s intent on keeping the past buried.

Her Ruthless Tycoon: 50 Loving States, Pennsylvania


Theodora Taylor - 2011
    One clue leads her to Nathan Sinclair, the handsome, rude, and arrogant CEO of Sinclair Industries.She doesn't remember him, but oh, does he remember her. Apparently something went down between them her freshman year that made him harden his heart against her and all other women. Something he refuses to talk about, even after their unexpected reunion explodes into a passionate love affair. Can Layla solve the mystery of her past and become the owner of his heart?WARNING: This book features hot sex scenes, a steamy romance, and a mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat

The Edge of Night


Jill Sorenson - 2011
    When one of her co-workers is found raped and murdered, April does what she knows she shouldn’t—she defies the neighborhood code by giving the police a hardcore gang member’s name. Clean-cut cop Noah Young wants a shot at breaking this case more than anything in the world—that is, until he meets the unforgettable April Ortiz. When April gives Noah the tip, a spark ignites. As the fire between them threatens to blaze out of control, the two are dragged down further into the dark mysteries of the graffiti-lined streets, taunted by a crazed killer who could strike again at any time. From the Paperback edition.

Secrets Exposed


Lisa Renee Jones - 2004
    Her enemy is her passion, her passion is her enemy.Lindsey Paxton was once the number one defense attorney in New York. She fought for those who were innocent, but charged. Her instincts were her lifeline, never failing her, as they guided her in her choices of who to defend. Or so she thought. Until she won a case she would forever wish to have lost. Her client, an accused rapist, kills and rapes a woman only a day after being set free. Destroyed by her role in the woman's death, Lindsey blames her father's controlling ways for what she has become, and runs from her career and life. Years later - the past becomes the present . . . Her father has cancer, and Lindsey is forced to leave her career with the Washington branch of the FBI. She finds herself facing the responsibility of running her father's law firm with the reluctant help of hotshot attorney Mark Reeves, a man who sparks her temper while also managing to tempt her body, her mind, maybe even her heart. With his help she finds herself fighting the emotional battles of the past, tempted to trust both him and her instincts. Now, faced with a case inherited from her father so similar to her career-ending one, she now must decide if her instincts will lead her down the path to saving an innocent man or setting free another killer. But while she fights her own battles, someone watches, wanting from the past what he had failed to get the first time . . . Lindsey.NOTE: Previously released as Hidden Instincts. Title change to indicate prelude to the new TALL, DARK, AND DEADLY trilogy coming in late 2011. I wrote this in 2004 and it was published by a library publisher and is in hardback in many libraries. You will meet the first Walker Brother-- Royce

Behind Closed Doors


Shannon McKenna - 2002
    . .Surveillance expert Seth Mackey knows everything about the women that his millionaire boss toys with–and tosses aside. Raine Cameron is something different. Night after night, Seth watches her on a dozen different video screens. Her vulnerable beauty haunts him and her fresh innocence stirs a white-hot passion that he can barely control. Raine is pure temptation, but Seth has something more important to take care of first. He’s convinced that his boss, Victor Lazar, is responsible for his half-brother’s murder. He cannot put his secret investigation at risk, but he can’t stop wanting her–craving her–and soon he knows he can’t let Victor have her. For Raine may be Victor’s next victim…EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE . . .Raine knows she’s being watched–but no one can see the secrets in her heart. She has reasons of her own to seek revenge on Victor Lazar, and she will, despite her fear–and the distracting presence of Seth Mackey. Though Raine has little experience with men, Seth’s fiercely masculine good looks and animal sensuality stir her most erotic fantasies when she’s alone . . . and lead her to a bold plan. Offering her body to him, surrendering totally to his ruthless desire might well push her beyond all emotional limits–and beyond fear itself.

Beginning of an Eclipse


S.K. Hardy - 2011
    The only one he trusts is his best friend, Marcus Bennett. As teens, the two run away and learn how to survive in a cold world that’s either do or die. Knowing there has to be something more than the mean streets of Philly, they eventually move to Las Vegas.Once there, Darrell runs into the woman who will ultimately change his life. Roni Winston is not looking to invite trouble into her life. Men as arrogant, good looking, and sexy as Darrell Monroe are the definition of the word. Not only is he way too young for her, she doesn’t mix business with pleasure. When she hires him as an exotic dancer for her club, Eclipse is born and his star quickly rises in Sin City. The legions of willing women are plentiful, and for a while, Darrell has no problem indulging in every decadent pleasure they offer until he tires of the superficial life he’s leading.He never stops wanting the one woman he can’t have: Roni Winston. As he matures, circumstances allow them to explore the spark which quickly burns into an inferno. In her eyes, he sees the possibility of becoming the man he’s always wanted to be. But a past he left behind collides with the future he’s trying to build. Once that happens, all bets are off.

Die For You


Amarie Avant - 2021
    The whole lot of us. Until I met her . . .LEITHAs a member of the Mackenzie clan, we fight for each other.We die for each other.And when I fell for Chevelle, those same rules applied to her.She loves me, but hates the family business.So, I hid the villain in me until today.Today, I need to do what must be done and that requires the help of the same people she would rather us keep our distance from.CHEVELLEAfter tragedy destroyed my family, I should’ve run from all things MacKenzie not straight into Leith Mackenzie's arms.I was broken.He remade me. Loved me and our little baby. Showed me that monsters could be humans and have hearts too. That he could be different than the rest of his ruthless clan.Unfortunately, now, Leith can't be the hero for me that he was before.He needs be that Savage Scot instead, and I'm afraid it'll cost us everything.*Die For You is the first book in the Scottish-MacKenzie Crime Family series. This steamy love story is a STANDALONE and contains NO CLIFFHANGERS, NO CHEATING, and has a HEA. This is a mature new adult, romantic suspense that contains situations that some readers might find offensive.

Midnight Sins


Lora Leigh - 2011
    He was a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who fought through life the only way he knew how: with his fists. But Rafer never meant to bring any harm to Cambria Flannigan, the girl—the lover—whose sister he’d been unable to save… Cami lost her sister in the brutal murders that rocked her hometown so many years ago. Some still believe that Rafe, along with his friends Logan and Crowe, were involved. But how could Rafe—who haunted her girlish dreams, then her adult fantasies—be a killer? That is the question that keeps her up at night. Now a prosperous ranch owner, Rafe is trying to build a new legacy for himself. It’s finally time to settle the score with Cami—and make her his. But old wounds open up with a series of new murders…and each of the victims has a connection to Rafe, Logan, and Crowe. With suspicion, fear, and loyalty tearing her apart, Cami is once again at risk of losing her heart—or her life.

Boss


Sienna Mynx - 2016
    The witness to the crime is a young woman found at the scene with bare bloody feet, dressed in men’s clothing, and an unbelievable story to tell. Kassandra Turner is on a quest for revenge after surviving a terrible childhood trauma. And her primary target is a ruthless Texan named Tarek Marshall with an even darker past. He isn’t easily fooled or seduced by a pretty face. After their first encounter Tarek sees through her seduction—he knows she can’t be trusted. Ignoring the warning of a co-conspirator Kassandra takes a job in Tarek Marshall’s company. Her naiveté and his thirst for power lures her into a dangerous spiral toward family secrets and bloody ties certain to end in murder. Who is playing whom? Soon Kassandra finds herself trying to escape a high stakes game of murder, corruption, and wicked, unrelenting passion that even her righteous cause could not prevent. Tarek Marshall could be her savior, or the devil himself. Boss is an addictively sexy, thrilling tale of purest of love and the darkest side of lust. With corruption and enough mayhem to keep the reader turning the page for more.

No One to Trust


Katie Reus - 2012
    When his risky lifestyle finally lands him in harm’s way, Elizabeth finds herself dragged into the dangerous underworld with him and into the path of one of Miami’s most dangerous drug lords. To stay alive, she now has to depend on the one man she has tried so desperately to forget.He’ll do anything to keep her safe…Former Marine Porter Caldwell never should have let Elizabeth walk away from him all those months ago. She means more to him than anything and now that she’s in danger and turned to him for help, he won’t make that mistake again. When a local gang targets her and she’s nearly killed in a drive by shooting, Porter vows to do whatever it takes to keep her alive. Even if it means turning his back on all that he’s sworn to uphold.