Book picks similar to
The Harder They Fall by Doreen Owens Malek


romance
contemporary-romance
contemporary
western

Crime Scene At Cardwell Ranch


B.J. Daniels - 2004
    Until a bunch of old bones showed up on her family ranch. Suddenly her former lover was back in her life in a big way-to investigate a decades-old crime.Five years ago, Hud left town with a heart load of regrets. But now, as acting interim marshal, he had a job to do. And this time he wasn't walking away. Because now Dana's life was on the line-as the unsuspecting target of a killer who still walked the canyon. Hud would do whatever it took to keep Dana close. Even if it meant risking his own heart for a second chance for both of them....

Hot Property


Susanne O'Leary - 2013
    But the house is a wreck that requires a fortune to restore, and she decides to sell it. An easy choice, were it not for the discovery of an old family scandal and a budding love affair with both the beautiful landscape and a handsome Kerryman. Catapulted into country life and faced with the less romantic side of farming, she also has to deal with a conspiracy to make her leave.

The Problem with Planning Love


Claire Cain - 2020
    Divorcé. Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army.All titles I’ve come to terms with, even if I didn’t see those first two coming.I never imagined making a military move to Germany as a single parent. What else I never imagined? Having an insane spark like I’ve never felt with my son’s kindergarten teacher.Livie’s a singular force of light and beauty, and I’ve never wanted someone so much. But after what happened last time, I can’t escape the dread of dragging a new wife into this life and failing again.Besides, our lives are too different. Our plans don’t match. We definitely shouldn’t date and absolutely can’t afford to catch feelings.Everything changed the day I walked into that classroom. And now the only thing that scares me more than trying for another chance at love is living with regret if I don’t.The Problem with Planning Love is a dual point of view romance told in first person that will give you all the sizzle and heat but keep it sweet.

Evidence of Trust


Stacey Joy Netzel - 2014
    It’s a fault that lands her in more danger than she bargains for while camping in the back-country of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Ranger Joel Morgan is used to having the upper hand in all his cases—until he runs into the headstrong blond while investigating disturbing incidents of poaching in the park. Brittany’s imprudent lie of omission awakens ghosts in his past, making the sizzling attraction between them unwelcome. As he searches for evidence he can trust her, the monster mutilating wildlife turns his sights on Brittany, and Joel discovers he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her—even give his own life.

Duet in September


Gina Ardito - 2013
    Every day for thirty days, they intend to do one thing differently from their normal routine—with unique results. Nia, still bitter years after her mother left the family for a wealthy tourist, finds herself falling for vineyard owner, Aidan Coffield, the son of a wealthy Manhattan real estate tycoon. Meanwhile, Paige keeps knocking heads with her high school nemesis and now town police chief, Sam Dillon. Each day of this special September will provide Paige and Nia with new adventures, new self-awareness, and of course, enough love to last two lifetimes.

Trusting Jake


Lauren Giordano - 2015
    In need of a jumpstart. Tired of playing by other people's rules, the widowed single mom guards her new freedom by keeping her deadbeat husband alive... in name only. But meeting Jake Traynor gives her hope and makes her question the merits of lying. Will he break down the fortress around her heart? Love under construction: Falling for a married woman was never in the blueprint. The definition of responsible son, executive Jackson Traynor is driven to prove his father right. Jake runs the family construction company. The workaholic millionaire is all business. No pleasure. Until assisting a beautiful redhead with her broken down car reminds Jake what he wants. But what if the only person you want is the one you can never have? Battling their deepening attraction, Jake must question everything he's ever believed -- because Jen and her kids are the family he's always dreamed of. Jenna must choose between a safe life and the one of her dreams. When Jake's company is threatened, she will risk everything to protect him -- even if it means exposing old secrets.

Alaskan Dawn


Edie Claire - 2015
    So when her twin sister Micah needs a surrogate mother, Haley willingly volunteers. Like most feats the capable workaholic attempts, her pregnancy goes perfectly... until the results of prenatal testing threaten to tear Micah’s marriage apart.Pregnant, overworked, and driven to the end of her rope by the neediness of the sister and widowed mother who depend on her, Haley seeks refuge with a week’s vacation on the Alaskan coast. As she soaks up the serenity of the unexpectedly vast and beautiful wilderness, Haley finds something else she doesn’t expect -- deep feelings for the wildlife-loving boat captain who reminds her how to laugh.With her unborn niece or nephew on the way and thousands of miles of ocean between their lives and careers, Haley and Ben settle for a friendship. But back home in California, the emptiness in her heart refuses to heal, and when her pregnancy takes a frightening turn Haley must examine what really matters -- and rediscover the childhood dream she never realized she had lost.

Homely Girl


Brenda Barrett - 2013
    He was the cute, athletic, boy genius on campus that everybody wanted to be friends with. She was the overweight, shy and withdrawn girl who the bullies teased mercilessly.But they were friends and the older they got the deeper their friendship became. As friendship turns into something more, do April and Taj have a love that can last a lifetime? Or will time and separate paths rip them apart?

Unexpectedly Mine


Stephanie Rowe - 2012
    "This is one of my favorite Romance books EVER!" ~Amazon Reader ReviewClare Gray's latest tenant just moved out, leaving her short of funds and stuck in a job she hates. She needs to rent out her spare room, and fast. When a billionaire shows up in her small town and can't find a hotel room, the last thing she wants is for the sexy out-of-towner to invade her life, even if he is dangerously addictive and tempting. But when a bevy of interfering locals decide that her spare room will solve both their problems, the single mom suddenly finds herself with sharing a bathroom with a man who looks much too good in the morning.Griffin Friesé is in town on a personal mission, and he has no time for love. But when he moves into Clare's farmhouse, he soon finds that life doesn't always give you want you want…but it might give you exactly what you need. Gradually, Clare's smile, her passion for life, and her small-town loyalty awaken something inside him, something that makes him yearn for a life he's never had. Can a single mom find the love and family she always wanted with a man afraid to open his heart again? NOTE: Unexpectedly Mine was originally published under the title No Knight Needed as part of the Ever After series.

Thoroughbreds and Trailer Trash


Bev Pettersen - 2012
    But when the Thoroughbred Wellness Center experiences a hostile takeover headed by a charming but ruthless corporate shark, both her heart and career are in jeopardy.

Rush


Megan Matthews - 2016
    San Francisco is a brand new city. I have an amazing apartment, a new job, family, and friends to keep me occupied. Life in the city will be easy.Keep my head down, don’t break any of the ridiculous rules in my lease agreement, get my best friend through her nasty relationship drama, and stick to my five year plan. I’ve got this. Or at least I would if I could figure out why my heart skips a beat every time I see my hot neighbor. Handsome, funny, and always around right when I need him, Finnegan McRyan is my own personal knight in shining armor. The tousled hair and sexy glasses don’t hurt his appeal either. Finn acts like the perfect man, but there’s something about him that has me questioning if it’s too good to be true. Can I count on him when it really matters or is Finn using his good guy image to hide the truth?

Waking Up Married


Mira Lyn Kelly - 2012
    Even worse, she's in a stranger's penthouse having woken up with something else as well - a funny, arrogant, sexy...husband!Up until now, finding even a boyfriend had seemed impossible - been there, got the broken heart, sworn off men for good. Then a few martinis with Carter...no, Connor Reed and she's gone from first meet to marriage in one night!Megan wants a lawyer. But Connor's shocking bombshell? "I don't want a divorce."

Annie's Child


Elda Minger - 2011
    Annie is from the wrong side of the tracks, a woman who has worked determinedly to improve her life. She refuses his help at first, until Ben convinces her it's the right thing to do for the child. He offers her a marriage of convenience until her baby is born and at least one year old. Both Ben and Annie have been hurt before, and are independent people. Neither count on falling in love. But then Brad comes back into town, and he's looking for Annie . . .

The Honeymoon Cottage


Barbara Cool Lee - 2012
    But when she arrives in Pajaro Bay, she finds a village full of cute cottages, quirky characters... and a killer on the loose who's somehow linked to her, the young boy, and the darling little house known as The Honeymoon Cottage. The Pajaro Bay stories are filled with light and breezy, heartwarming fun, and always leave you with a happy ending.

The Seduction of His Wife


Janet Chapman - 2006
     Alex Knight is dead -- or so everyone thinks. A widowed logger baron with a risk-taking streak, he took on a South American engineering project and was reported dead after a rebel attack. So when he turns up back in Maine very much alive, his grieving family is shocked. But the biggest shock is Alex's, when he discovers he's now married -- to a woman he's never met. Sarah Banks is ready for a change from running a quiet Bed & Breakfast, and working for the Knight family offers not only a bigger opportunity, but also the family life she yearns for. So she's glad to help secure custody of Alex's orphaned children, whom she's come to love, by marrying their father by proxy before he's legally declared dead. But when Alex returns, the sexy, determined woodsman upends all of Sarah's plans. Because suddenly she's married to a passionate stranger with an easy smile...and tumbling headlong into a fiery dance of seduction.