Book picks similar to
In Hot Water by Terry Odell


romance
western
romantic-suspense
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Belle of the Ball


Pam McCutcheon - 2003
    But a wish at a magical rock formation is about to change all that, in a most a-MUSE-ing way. . . . The three Sullivan sisters, named for the Three Graces of Greek legend who embody beauty, charm and grace, don’t live up to their names. Belle is no beauty. Charisma lacks charm. And Grace is somewhat less than graceful. But this doesn't deter their ambitious mother from bribing three bachelors to escort them to Colorado Springs’ beautiful Garden of the Gods. When the girls overhear their escorts mocking how little they resemble their names, each girl makes a wish at the magical Three Graces rock formation. Belle wishes aloud for beauty, but only so she can use it as a weapon to punish the cads who hurt her sisters. Her true wish is for revenge. Handsome viscount Kit Stanhope regrets his rude remarks and apologizes to Belle. He’s surprised when she tells him that's not enough. If he truly regrets his behavior, he has to make her beautiful in time for the Founders’ Day Ball. Kit isn’t sure he’s up to the task. But, intrigued by the spirited Belle, he agrees to assist her transformation from an ugly duckling into a swan with the help of a mysterious Greek dressmaker with muse-like qualities. Unfortunately, Belle makes a rather awkward swan. Still, after a few embarrassing escapades, she masters the flirtatious language of the fan and takes the town known as Little London by storm. Belle soon finds herself falling for the viscount and his sinful mouth. It seems he returns her regard, but she can’t renege on her promise to humiliate him . . . can she? Will her secret muse grant the wish she voiced . . . or the one she holds in her heart? Note to readers: This title was originally published in 2003 by Zebra Ballad.

A Killing Tide


P.J. Alderman - 2006
    But now a man is dead, an arsonist has set the Anna Marie ablaze and her brother is missing, accused of both crimes. How much more can she take?THERE'S FIREMichael Chapman knows how to take the heat-- as the new fire chief of Astoria, Oregon, he's dealt with more than his share. No way can he afford to get involved with the sister of a suspect. But the scorching attraction between him and Kaz burns out of control and when someone takes a shot at her, his protective instincts kick in. Whatever happens, he can't allow another woman to die because of him.

Max


Scarlett Avery - 2016
    HEA guaranteed. This is Book 5 of the Billionaire Romance in Manhattan Series. Each standalone romance in this sexy series can be read on its own.This romance was first released as Curves Envy.

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.

Stealing Justice


Misty Evans - 2014
    Now the FBI wants him to use his renegade skills to take down a serial killer who’s above the law. To trap the Lion, Grey will need to send the perfect woman undercover.Sydney Banfield runs a women’s shelter and bends the law daily to help victims of abuse escape their painful lives. Three of the women she’s recruited for government jobs have become victims of the Lion. If Syd has her way, the vicious killer will never touch another woman again.Grey and Sydney set a trap — with Sydney as the sexy bait — but the Lion adds a complex twist to his homicidal agenda. With Sydney’s life on the line, Grey must race against the clock to catch a killer who’s as unstoppable as he is evil.

She Belongs to Me


Carmen DeSousa - 2011
     Charlotte police officer Jordan Monroe is used to being in control. Ever since his father died, he has provided for his mother and sisters and even hired his two brothers-in-law to help run his successful construction company. On a chance business trip, however, he meets the one person who throws his life into a whirlwind--Jaynee.Jaynee has lived a tragic life and has sworn off all men. That is until a rugged southern gentleman lands in her seating area, refusing to take no for an answer. From the moment they meet, Jordan sweeps her off her feet, assuring her that happiness exists. But can she really escape her past?Five years later, Jordan finds Jaynee on their back porch with a gunshot wound to the head. While Jaynee lies in a coma, Jordan has to go back to their beginning and figure out what went wrong. Did he push his wife to the edge, or has her past come back to haunt them? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "You'll be swept off your feet along with Jaynee as she discovers the man of her dreams. You'll be drawn into the drama. And you'll flip the pages fast as Jordan must desperately figure out the truth in time. I was and did!" -- New York Times bestselling author Jaime Rush⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "SHE BELONGS TO ME is definitely a good suspenseful read. Ms. DeSousa is a talented author and I had no problem in connecting with the characters. The story displayed a realistic relationship between Jordan and Jaynee." -- The Romance Reviews

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?

The Forgiven Cowboy's Best Friend: A Callahan Mountain Ranch Christmas (7 Brides for 7 Cowboys, Small Town Sweet Western Romance Book 1)


Melody Archer - 2020
    She's a widow, heartbroken and still angry at the first man she ever loved for leaving seven years ago...Wyatt Callahan never thought he’d return home to Callahan ranch, but life gave him no other choice. The death of a close friend in his military unit and more recently his adopted dad’s passing sent him reeling, with a new need to right old wrongs.Abby Meadows Hart spent her childhood on her family's ranch, next door to the Callahan family. Abby fell in love with Wyatt, but when her dreams of marrying him were crushed, she agreed to marry the man of her parents choosing.Married only a few short years, unexpectedly Abby was left a widow.All alone and drowning in debt, her one goal was to keep the only thing that gave her a sense of belonging... her ranch.She’s desperate to hold onto the one place that has given her a sense of belonging. Especially when all the people she loved have left her abandoned and wounded.At Wyatt Callahan's sudden return back to their small town, Abby is in turmoil. Still grieving and in pain, she's still angry at the man who left her seven years ago.It seems that every time Wyatt and Abby clear one obstacle, another one looms larger in the path just ahead. Can they move on from their painful pasts and embrace a second chance a love?Books in the 7 Brides for 7 Cowboys, Small Town Sweet Western Romance series: 1. The Forgiven Cowboy's Best Friend 2. The Redeemed Cowboy's Secret Baby 3. The Honorable Cowboy's Convenient Marriage

See Me


Michele Arris - 2019
    Now that she does, she’ll do everything she can to keep it running. When a hotshot businessman—emphasis on hot—threatens everything she holds dear, Kennedi bakes up an unconventional plan to protect her family legacy.He believes in himself…Casio developer Trenton Shaw will do anything to succeed. After a bitter divorce, he’s poured his heart and soul into achieving his professional goals. A new parking garage on the Washington D.C. Wharf is essential to his casino. He won’t let a cake baker get in his way, no matter how gorgeous, tenacious, and irresistibly charming she seems to be.There’s no denying the sizzling attraction as professional entanglements become highly personal. But when Trenton discovers Kennedi's secret, she’s forced into a desperate choice. Should she protect her family or her heart?

Rafe


Kathy Ivan - 2020
    Turns out, trouble has followed the small-town schoolteacher to Shiloh Springs, and Rafe and the rest of the Boudreau clan must step in to keep her safe. Can they decipher the clues and end the danger Tessa faces before time runs out?

Cowboy Most Wanted


Stina Lindenblatt - 2018
    Some racy photos. And an accidental hook up—or three—with his best friend’s sister.   There are four things that rule my world: Norse mythology, Marvel comics, horses, and dirty talk. Not necessarily in that order.   When my brother signs me up for a new Bachelorette-style reality show centered around a female star looking for love with a cowboy (without my permission, I might add), I don’t have a choice.   It will be great publicity for the ranch.   Or at least that’s what I’m promised. Never mind that I’m not looking for love—and I’m especially not interested in landing a fiancée.   What I didn’t figure on is the show's photographer being Violet Brooks. Violet is my best friend's little sister. Did I mention he’s the town sheriff?   She’s the same woman who left our small Montana town ten years ago and never looked back. The same woman I lusted after when I shouldn’t have. And still do.   So when the pre-show marketing photo shoot involves channeling my inner underwear model—with Violet as the photographer—I lose my shirt. My pants. And possibly my virtue.   But it’s worth it.   As long as we don’t get caught—because if we are, it’s adios to the ranch.   And as long as my heart doesn’t get toss into the mix. Because what Violet and I have is only temporary while she’s in town.   Sounds easy enough. Right?

Reed


Madison Stevens - 2013
    All of that is threatened when her brother drags her back into the seedy world of greed, violence and corruption she’s tried desperately to flee.Private security contractor Reed Allen isn’t about to let a burning attraction rope him in again. He’s already felt the sting of letting his heart rather than his head lead him. He’s just there to do the job and get paid, even if a certain spunky beautiful librarian has him feeling things he thought long since buried.Keeping Olivia safe is the easy part. Resisting their passionate urges could prove to be much harder.They’ll have to mend their broken hearts and move on from their painful pasts for a chance at a future.

The Wicked Series: Books 1-2


Piper Lawson - 2021
    He whispers mine.Grab the first two books in the enthralling rockstar romance series Wicked in this LIMITED-TIME SET!GOOD GIRL (Book 1)When Haley took an internship on rock god Jax Jamieson’s tour, she never thought he’d look twice at her. Too bad she rubbed him the wrong way on day one and since, he’s taken divine pleasure in making her life hell.She needs this job for reasons he can never know. That’s why she has to be cool under his smoldering gaze and arrogant grin. The bigger problem is when his cynicism slips away, exposing the cracks beneath. When he lets his guard down to tell her things he hasn’t told a soul…BAD GIRL (Book 2)Rock stars don't chase college students. But Jax Jamieson has never followed the rules.Haley thought she knew Jax's secrets. She was wrong.When the screaming fans go home and the lights fade to black, it's just Jax and Haley and the people they left behind.Now, the rockstar’s secrets threaten to destroy them both--unless Haley chooses to abandon her own dreams and follow Jax fully into the dark.Jax and Haley’s sexy, addictive story promises to leave you breathless. Binge Books 1 and 2 in the unputdownable romance series that’s sold more than 100,000 copies!

The Cowboy and His Runaway


Kaci Rose - 2020
    The sexy cowboy who'd found me hiding in his barn. A series of disastrous events led me to...him. He and his family took me in, protected me, and gave me the life I always wanted. But at what cost?BlazeI didn't expect to find the beautiful blonde in my barn that morning. Or the intense rage I'd feel after seeing her bruises. At that moment she became mine. Mine to take care of. Mine to spoil. Mine to protect from anyone who intended her harm. Anyone.Come meet the small town of Rock Springs Texas with a family that has your back, a town that knows your business, and men who love with everything they have.There is plenty of horses, nights under the stars, sweet tea, and a few road trips!Get ready for some HOT Texas Nights!Warning:This is a cowboy romance with a sexy cowboy and a strong woman who have a lot of heat! This sexy full-length romance. Complete with a happy ever after, no cheating, and no cliffhanger!This book may have some trigger points centering around abuse and what makes these characters strong and protective and justice is always served!Readers 18+, please.

More Than Pancakes


Christine DePetrillo - 2014
    Her nights are filled with the glitz and glamour of upscale parties. Until her grandmother dies and leaves Lily property in wretched Vermont. The woods mean only one thing to Lily—nightmares. When Utopia wants the land for development, Lily is forced to travel to a place she’d rather forget. Rick Stannard makes maple syrup and builds barns in the peace and quiet of picturesque Vermont. Noisy New York City nearly killed him a few years back, and now he lives a calm, simple life with his coyote, Poe, and his beloved book collection. It’s the only way he’s guaranteed to wake up each morning. When Lily marches her expensive boots onto Rick’s land and proposes turning it into a mega resort, the serenity of the woods is shattered. Lily always closes a deal. Rick never intends to sell. They’ll need to compromise, or someone else will do it for them. Someone who is not afraid of the woods or the city. Or spilling a little blood.