Book picks similar to
Lost Summer by M.T. Stone


freebie
romance
contemporary
mystery

Bad Medicine


J.D. Faver - 2012
    Rafael never gave up hoping for Chloe’s return. She inherits her father’s shrimp boat and irascible crew, enabling her to make a living. Rafael’s passion breaks down her emotional barriers, but her impetuous nature draws her into a cruel vortex where she runs afoul of old and new enemies. Previous rivalries emerge, pitting Rafael against the heir-apparent to a crime dynasty. With the body count rising, Rafael and Chloe battle an infatuated but vicious drug lord, kidnappers, and a twisted curandero (Mexican healer). Will they survive the violence and be able to forge a life together?

Refuge (Pinegrove Mountain, #1)


Julianna Foxe
    Unfortunately, that means she has to see someone she never wanted to see again, her brother’s best friend. Chase kissed her back in high school and ran off and joined the Marines the next day. He’s now a cop, and is trying to squeeze his massive form into a sleeping position on her couch because he is refusing to leave until she’s safe.Chase tried not to fall for the curvy and smart Alexis when he practically lived at his best friend’s house as a teen. He knew he was never good enough for her, a point his abusive parents proved when they forced him out of town after high school. Now he has a second chance to show her how much she has always meant to him, if he can catch whoever is trying to kill her first.Will Alexis give Chase the chance to move from the couch to her bed? Or is their reunion 10 years too late?

To Catch a Bad Guy


Marie Astor - 2012
    When she lands a job at one of New York’s premier boutique investment firms, Janet begins to hope that her luck is finally turning for the better. Not only is she happy with her new paycheck, but things also seem to be looking up on the personal front, as the company’s handsome attorney expresses keen interest in Janet. However, her euphoria is short-lived, as Janet soon discovers alarming facts about her new employer’s business tactics. When her boss dismisses her suspicions as groundless, Janet finds herself confiding to a cute IT engineer, Dean Snider. The closer she gets to Dean, the more Janet is tempted to break her rule of not dating co-workers, but what she doesn’t realize is that everything she knows about Dean, including his occupation and even his name, is a lie.Dennis Walker is a top-notch white collar crime investigator who will stop at nothing to put culprits away. When an opportunity for an undercover assignment at one of New York’s premier boutique broker dealers comes up, Dennis jumps at the chance, adopting a persona of geeky IT engineer, Dean Snider. While he may be an ace at his job, years of experience fail him when Dennis meets Janet Maple and finds himself torn between his professional obligations and his personal desires. Will he have to choose between his feelings and duty, or will he find a way to satisfy both?

Saving Face


Brenda Barrett - 2013
    Natasha Rowe and her partner Harry Campbell are asked to go under cover to investigate what appears to be a murder. In the process of investigating, Natasha finds herself attracted to lecturer and psychiatrist Taj Jackson. She also realizes that all is not what it appears to be at the school. There are secrets and lies under the veneer of holiness, especially in the life of the dead president.

If I Didn't Care


Kait Nolan - 2016
    While he might once have dreamed of a different future for them, everything changed the day her father tried to kill them both. Determined to keep her safe, Judd put his feelings aside and turned his focus to protecting her, always.She leads a double lifeNobody in their small town would ever dream that Autumn, Wishful's friendly librarian, is really successful erotic romantic suspense author, Rumor Fairchild. No one knows that the swoon-worthy hero of her series is based on her best friend, Judd. He's been fulfilling her rescue fantasies for years, and now she's ready to catapult them out of the friend zone to make her real life romance come true.Their nightmare returnsBut when the past comes full circle and Autumn's father returns to Wishful, even the power of Judd's badge isn't enough to keep her safe from the madman. If he wants the chance at a future with the one girl he's always loved, Judd may have to toss everything he's worked for aside to do the one job that matters.

Anchor


Nicole Blanchard - 2015
     A woman I’ve never met, whose name I don’t even know, gambled her own life to protect my child. In return, she was taken by a mad man. I’ll put my career, my security, and my life on the line to get her back, even if it means facing the truth about my own mistakes. The only thing she can't trust me with... is her heart. This is a FULL LENGTH, STANDALONE with a HEA and NO CLIFFHANGER.

Stolen In Paradise


Toby Neal - 2013
    The victim’s project, a genetically-engineered algae that could solve the world fuel crisis, has been stolen from the development lab, a hotbed of intrigue where everyone on the project has something to hide—including Marcella.It was supposed to be simple: kill the scientist and grab the formula. Now he has to stop a relentless FBI agent any way he can.He’s in too deep. He’s trapped. They’re closing in, and he’ll kill anyone he has to in order to walk away.

Mark of the Loon


Molly Greene - 2012
    She struggles with the inability to put down roots years after the sudden death of her beloved parents. Madison and her three wise, hilarious friends all wonder if she uses her busy, work-centric lifestyle as an excuse to avoid connection with anyone but them.When Madison checks out a probate sale outside Healdsburg, California, she falls in love with the European-style house on a private tract of land overlooking Lake Sonoma. In fact, she likes the place so much she climbs in the window for a private tour. With help from lawyer and friend Genevieve Delacourt, Madison soon learns that the estate’s corrupt attorney has manipulated the sale and is attempting to steer the purchase to an anonymous client in a deceitful plan for personal gain.Good fortune enables her to purchase the Blackburne’s property, but far more than a new home and lush gardens await discovery during this renovation. As Madison works on the remodel, she’s drawn into an old love story with dangerous consequences. In the process, she discovers herself as she unearths buried secrets. The series of events both endanger Madison and lead her to love – and a permanent home. Mark of the Loon is the skillful combination of history, mystery, and romance in a novel that explores deep friendship, choices, and how individuals cope with loss.

Sexy Business: Vladimir Kensley


Ellen Lane - 2017
    But I can’t be tied down. They simply fill a need, a desire... I am next in line to be the CEO for my foster dad’s oil company, and this has given me access to the luxury and power most people ever dream of. But it comes with a cost. I can’t settle down with a woman. Women take my eyes off my goal. That is, until Charlotte Gardner comes across my path. The attraction is instant. She is gorgeous, spontaneous, wild and ignites a fire in me I was not aware of. I want to make her mine even though I shouldn’t. I can’t stop it. The more I try, the harder I fall. I am ruined! Sexy Business is a hot and steamy romance about a man who redefines the purpose of his life because of falling in love with a woman. It is intended for adults and contains a very satisfying, happy ending!

Rogue


Blair Babylon - 2020
    Everything about her appealed to him: her sweetness, her giggliness, and especially the fact that she was in trouble.That last part made her sugar and catnip to Max.Luckily, he only had five days before he left Paris and Europe for wherever his global charity job was going to send him this time. Why not spend it with the funny blonde who insisted he lie to her? Indeed, if she thought everything he said was a lie, he could confess his sins, unburden his soul, and reveal what he thought he never could. Five days with her sounded like Heaven if he could just convince her to stop throwing him out of her hotel room.***My life has become a sad country music song, but instead of heading south, I went to Paris. I was a good girl who had nothing left to lose, literally. My boyfriend had stolen everything. Everything except a non-refundable plane ticket to Paris, which was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime where that deadbeat was going to propose at the top of the Eiffel Tower.So, I got on the plane without him.After all that, it was understandable that when I started drinking at the Buddha Bar, things got a little out of hand. Luckily, a man intervened. He was so ripped that I could see every thick muscle of his abs, obliques, chest, and arms through the tight tee-shirt he was wearing. He towered over the guys who were bothering me, and they backed off. I took him back to my hotel because I was full of drunken, bad decisions that night. The last thing I needed was a man who wanted to save me when I was trying to do all the wrong things.

Justified Deception


Patricia Watters - 2011
    Ruth's private investigator is all but certain that ranch owner, Matt Kincaid's, adopted daughter is Ruth's child. But even though Ruth lands the job as nanny to Matt's six-year-old daughter, she must tread carefully. Matt's the maverick in a powerful family of lawyers and politicians and she can't predict what Matt or his family might do if the adoption's challenged. However, Ruth's carefully laid plans go awry when she finds herself falling in love with the man who might have stolen her child.

SEAL the Deal


Makenna Jameison - 2015
    After her husband was killed in an accident, she’d do anything to shield herself from more heartache. Her success in the courtroom has not come without costs though. The disgruntled ex-husband of a client is seeking revenge—and his sights are set on Rebecca.Navy SEAL Patrick “Ice” Foster vowed never to be in a relationship again. The gorgeous brunette he meets on the beach isn’t going to change his mind—no matter how tempting her feminine curves, innocent glances, and fierce independence may be.Despite their determination never to fall in love, Rebecca and Patrick can’t deny the connection between them. When danger lurks around every corner, she knows there’s only one man she can trust to protect both her and her daughter. But who will protect her from a broken heart?SEAL the Deal, a stand-alone novel, is book one in the bestselling Alpha SEALs series.

Connor's Gamble


Kathy Ivan - 2014
    The last thing he expects is to be stuck on a bus loaded with senior citizens—and his ex-wife. Alyssa Scott thought she'd left the baggage of her old life far behind when she moved to Florida. Instead she's chaperoning the senior group and dealing with the one person she never expected to see—her ex-husband. Sparks fly and passions reawaken. Neither Connor nor Alyssa can deny the feelings they still hold for each other. But a sinister threat from Connor's past thrusts them into a perilous game of cat-and-mouse to stop a ruthless killer before time runs out. Will Connor gamble everything to save the woman he loves? READING ORDER OF NEW ORLEANS CONNECTION SERIES Desperate Choices Connor's Gamble Relentless Pursuit Ultimate Betrayal Keeping Secrets OTHER BOOKS BY KATHY IVAN Second Chances (Destiny's Desire Series, book #1) Losing Cassie (Destiny's Desire Series, book #2) PRAISE FOR THE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE OF KATHY IVAN: "DESPERATE CHOICES (first in the Big Easy series) is a powerful debut. Taut suspense and engaging characters make this a fast paced enjoyable read. Kathy Ivan is a talent to watch. – Addison Fox, author of The Rome Affair (House of Steele) "Max and Theresa are both characters that make you anxiously want them to have their happy ending while the suspense adds just the right amount of angst to keep you turning the pages. I highly recommend Desperate Choices. Readers can't go wrong here!" -- Melissa, Joyfully Reviewed Best In Romance 2011 “This is the first I have read from Kathy Ivan and it won't be the last. Desperate Choices had it all . . .” -- Night Owl Reviews “I loved how the author wove a very intricate storyline with plenty of intriguing details that led to the final reveal . . .” --Night Owl Reviews on Second Chances

Chasing Justice


Danielle Stewart - 2013
    But her plans of settling into a normal life are derailed when she witnesses a prominent judge in her community committing a violent assault. Running from her own past and fueled by a passion to make the judge answer for his crimes, Piper is forced to decide if she’ll play by the rules or achieve justice in her own way.Complicating things further, Piper finds herself fighting a powerful attraction to rookie cop, Bobby Wright. Although she’s increasingly enamored with Bobby, his staunch belief in the justice system is in stark contrast to her own. She may not share his opinions about the effectiveness of the law, but she certainly can’t deny how safe she feels when she’s in his arms or how every kiss leaves her desperate for more.For Piper, the idea of finally living an ordinary life with a man to love is tempting. However, fate keeps placing the judge, quite literally, in her path. Will she decide the only way to win is to be as wicked as the judge, but with righteous intentions? And more importantly, will Bobby choose to let her go, or follow her as she crosses the line and takes justice into her own hands?

Worth the Wait


Rachael Tonks - 2017
    Charisma. Charm. Success. To the outside world, Josh Larson has it all. With a thriving business and more than enough attention from the ladies, what more could a guy want? Depth. Colliding with Quinn Tate was never part of his plans, but when he meets the sexy as sin stripper, Josh realizes there is more to her than meets the eye. On a mission to fill the void in his life, the mystery surrounding Quinn’s secrets, leaves him craving the truth behind her guarded exterior. When he wants more than she’s willing to give, the decision lies with Josh. Give up on something special, or fight for the only woman who could be worth the wait?