Book picks similar to
Skeleton Bayou by Melanie Atkins


romantic-suspense
suspense
romance
heroine-takes-a-beating

Solomon's Compass


Carol Kilgore - 2013
    The lure of buried treasure. And a sexy former SEAL who makes U.S. Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell crazy. What more could any woman want. Right? Taylor is on a quest to unearth her uncle’s buried treasure—a journey so far out of the realm of her real life she can barely fathom it. There’s one other minor glitch. Taylor's certain the buried treasure was all in Uncle Randy's dementia-riddled mind. Now he’s dead. All the same, Taylor is in Rock Harbor, Texas, to settle her uncle's estate, including following his directions to the treasure. When someone tries to kill her, Taylor's quest becomes personal. She tosses Randy's official cause of death—Drowning Due to Accident—out the window and starts looking at his Rock Harbor acquaintances. Could Randy's treasure be real? Jake Solomon is in Rock Harbor under false pretenses. He loathes the charade dictated by his father’s plan to protect Taylor Campbell. But Jake will do what it takes to protect Taylor from the fate that befell her uncle and the other members of a tight circle of Coast Guardsmen called the Compass Points who served together on Point boats in Vietnam. Due to the danger involved, Jake’s dad has ordered him not to become involved with Taylor. Disobeying his father was Jake’s first mistake. Taylor is attracted to Jake as well, but she refuses to wait for Jake to locate the killer when she knows her plan will force her uncle’s murderer into action. But the killer's actions are just what Jake is afraid of.

Falling Series Books #6-9 (Falling Series Collection Book 2)


Tracy Lorraine - 2020
    Everything you need to heat up your Kindle is right here. From an emotional office romance, to sexy bad boys, enemies to lovers, brother's best friends, explosive second chances, and a little m/m to mix things up. One-click and start binge-reading now. Falling for Lucas Sleeping with the boss wasn't meant to be part of the promotion.

 People think I’m a suave businessman but they couldn’t be more wrong. The expensive suit is just covering the ugly scars of my past. I have no interest in love or making promises that I can’t keep. Until I find her in my hotel suite. She’s a broken mess and everything in me wants to protect her. To make her mine. I’m falling for my employee and she should be running far away from me. Will I let her? No chance. Falling for Caleb Never stop fighting if you think you’ve found the one. I’m not fussy about the men I share my bed with, but my heart is another matter. Loving someone too much goes hand in hand with pain and suffering. It’s not something I want in my life. Then I meet him. Just one kiss and he finds his way in. It’s just a shame I don’t have the same effect on him. Can I convince him that he’s the only one for me despite what my reputation says? I’m falling for a man whose sole intention is run as far away from me as he can. Falling for Declan Hate is easy. Love takes courage. My life is sweet. I work hard, party harder, surf whenever the hell I want and get any woman I desire. It can’t get any better. Then my worst enemy moves to town. I’ve hated her from as early as I can remember, and now she’s taunting me once again. Or tempting me? It seems the girl who plagued my younger years is now a woman I can’t get out of my head. I’m falling for my childhood enemy. Nothing good can come of this, or can it? Falling for Liam She's mine, every last broken, beautiful bit of her. I’ve always been different. Always been the nice one. The misunderstood one. Everything changed when I found her, the woman I've been waiting for. Hoping for. The one. Then, she left. Now she's back, and she's nothing like I remember. She’s broken. Harboring dark secrets that beg to be exposed. And that's fine, because I've got some sordid secrets of my own. I’m going to prove I'm the one she needs. Because she’s mine. Mine to protect. Mine to love. It’s time for her to submit to the one thing she truly desires. Me. All of me.

FBI Joint Task Force #1-5


Fiona Quinn - 2019
    It would be so much easier without her special forces code – no man left behind. It’s a cross-country cat and mouse game while maintaining her undercover status. It’s hard to explain why a criminal would go to such lengths for the guy who is determined to throw her behind bars.EVEN ODDS –A plan is hatched to insert the two intelligence officers into the action—under the cover of a fake marriage—painting a target on Raine’s back, enticing the mole out into the open.Damian wasn’t there when his Delta Force brothers saved Raine from the terrorists in Afghanistan, will he be there for her this time when she’s in the sniper’s rifle sights?

Diverted


Lori Matthews - 2021
    Now, too hurt to return to his former position and not wounded enough to be benched, he’s assigned as the new Coast Guard team leader in…Panama. They’re there as part of a drug interdiction unit, but really, they’re Team RECON. Recon as in reconstructed. Each of the four men is like him; a Humpty Dumpty. Except they were trying to put themselves back together so they could do what they loved best, kicking ass, and taking names.Dr. Carolina Alvarez had moved on from research and was working for Doctors Without Borders. A chance meeting with her old boss set her on a dangerous mission to deliver much-needed medicine to South America. Her failure would mean the sure extinction of a tribe clinging to their ancient traditions.Nick should have realized from the instant Carolina walked back into his life things would not go according to plan. But harbored resentment still clouded his vision. Now they were on the trail of the missing vaccine, and the assignment just turned deadly.

Dangerous Lies: Sawyer and Amethyst (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Two): Clean and wholesome small town romance


Christine Kersey - 2016
    Then a handsome stranger moves in next door. Wanting him to feel welcome in Emerald Falls, she attempts to befriend him. But when he is less than friendly, she becomes more determined to get to know him.Sawyer Cooke is in hiding. Wanting to remain as anonymous as possible, when his gorgeous red-headed neighbor stops by with a plate of cookies and a welcoming smile, it takes all of his will-power to turn her away. When she doesn't give up, he finds he enjoys her company much more than is safe. To keep his secret from being discovered--and to keep his enemies from finding him--he's forced to lie to Amethyst about all aspects of his life.Will a relationship built on lies destroy them both, or keep them safe from those who would do them harm?

Mississippi Blues


D'Ann Lindun - 2013
    Although Trey wanted to believe in his friend’s innocence, he was forced to testify in court, and Jace was sent to prison for life. Trey returns determined to prove he was right. Even if it means losing the woman he still loves. Summer Hill cannot forgive Trey, or his father, the chief of police, for the wrongs she feels they did to her family. When her brother escapes from Angola, Summer vows to keep her brother safe, no matter the cost. Falling back in love with Trey again isn’t an option.Now, five years later, the past begins to unravel. Reluctantly thrown together, Summer and Trey follow a twisted path that lead them to the truth—Jace didn’t kill anyone and an entire town’s ugly secret is unveiled. But more importantly, can Trey and Summer rediscover the love they lost?

The Blue House in Bishop


Sunanda J. Chatterjee - 2017
    Duke Wilcox is forced to recover in the house of his old college roommate, Dr. Sunil Samant. Haunted by his failed mission and failed marriage, Duke has lost his trust in women and yearns for a chance to redeem himself.Indian Police Inspector Alisha Raj has a passion for bringing criminals to justice. After leaving the police force with a broken heart, she agrees to an “arranged marriage” with Sunil. But it is an unusual proposal; Sunil asks Alisha to pretend to be his fiancée to please his dying mother.Alisha comes to Bishop to leave her past behind, only to fall hopelessly in love with Duke. But she is engaged to Sunil, whose mother is expected to visit any day. The attraction seems mutual, but Duke’s troubled past prevents him from opening his heart.Everything changes when a mysterious woman shows up with a baby, seeking Sunil’s help.But is this woman who she claims to be? Why is the FBI after her? And how is she involved with a Colombian Drug lord?A story of loyalty, camaraderie, and love, The Blue House in Bishop brings four strangers together in a fight for survival.

The Janus Journals


H.L. Wegley - 2019
    When her father is murdered, he left her with a warning, an assassin on her trail, and his secret history contained in a set of journals. As Allie tries to elude the assassin and read the journals, she learns that the loving father who raised her was not the man he appeared to be, and the man she must now trust with her life is someone Allie must never trust with her heart.At strong safety, Grady Jamison could defend against opponents in the red zone, but he couldn't stop the drunk driver who hit his car and killed his sister. Does Allie Petrenko's call for help mean Grady has been given a second chance, a chance to do things right? Once again, he's defending in the red zone. And he must not let the world-class assassin score, because the goal line marks the end of Allie Petrenko's life.The Janus Journals, set in Virginia and near Lake Chelan in Washington State, is high-action romantic suspense at its best. The dual timeline will take you on an epic journey through the twilight years of the Cold War that reshaped one man's destiny while creating deadly tentacles, reaching into the present, threatening an innocent young woman.

Unforgettable Danger: Love and Trouble (The Unforgettables Book 6)


Mimi BarbourRachelle Ayala - 2018
    Bite your nails as a hooker turned nanny, a determined princess, a ghostly bride, a single mother and more turn up the passion and heat while escaping killers, thieves, and dangerous situations. Meet their brave and protective heroes who prove that love is most UNFORGETTABLE when lives and hearts are on the line. Thrills and heart-melting romance await you in Unforgettable Danger: Love and Trouble. SWEET FAITH, Mimi Barbour, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: From hooker to nanny, is her transformation possible? CHASING THE TIARA, Leanne Banks, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: A missing tiara, a handsome investigator, a Princess determined to save her sister.... Big trouble... MAGGIE’S REVENGE, Jacquie Biggar, USA Today bestselling author: DEA Special Agent Maggie Holt is fierce, smart, beautiful-- and in over her head. FOR SARAH’S SAKE, Mona Risk, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: A two-year-old orphan faces danger and complicates the life of her rescuer and his estranged wife. THE FRAGRANCE FACTOR, Alicia Street, USA Today bestselling author: When Wesley discovers she is the unwitting keeper of a murdered friend’s secret, she is swept into a race to find the killer—before she becomes his next victim. DANGEROUS MEMORIES, Donna Fasano, USA Today bestselling author: Waking with amnesia, she wonders what kind of woman she is when two men claim to be her unborn baby's father. LADY HENRIETTA’S DILEMMA, Katy Walters, USA Today bestselling author: How can she marry without love? HIDE MY HEART, Rachelle Ayala, USA Today bestselling author: Single mother Amber McKay must hide her baby from danger, and there’s only one man she trusts.

Deadly First Day


Emily Kazmierski - 2019
    Girls who are timid wallflowers.It was made for bold, outspoken, cultured kids of the political elite. Rich. Privileged. Condescending.Except for Ricardo, who looks at me like I'm a new flavor of ice cream he'd like to try, despite my cute bodyguard's disapproving stare. If only bratty girls and cute boys were my biggest problem.When the academy's resident mean girl is killed on my very first day, their shimmering oasis becomes a pool of blood. The whispering gets louder. Quick glances become hard stares.They’re looking for someone to blame. They’re looking at me.

Beyond the Shadows


Christy Barritt - 2016
    A decade later, when Charity receives a mysterious letter that promises answers, she returns to North Carolina in search of closure. With the help of her new neighbor, Police Officer Joshua Haven, Charity begins to track down mysterious clues concerning her friend’s abduction. They soon discover that they must work together or both of them will be swallowed by the looming darkness. The Unrelenting Tide by Lynnette Bonner: Widowed former-Hollywood-actress Devynne Lang has been living a quiet life in the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest. For years, she's hoped her fabricated death would keep her identity safe from the public, and more to the point, from the stalker who forced her into hiding. But strange things have been happening around her place and this time, with a daughter to protect, she can’t afford one mistake – even if it means letting Carcen Lang get close enough to help. The End Came with a Kiss by John Michael Hileman: When the world died, my wife died with it. She became like the rest—a beautiful zombie, acting out a scene from our past, over and over again. But I know she is alive inside that dead body. She's been trying to tell me, trying to show me—and I won't stop until I save her. I won't stop until I save them all. Saving Grace by Lesley Ann McDaniel: When an obsessive fan forces opera singer Tracy Fontaine to change her name to Grace Addison and go into hiding in a small Montana town, the last thing she wants is to get to know the locals. Now, not one but two men have worked their way into her daily routine, much to the chagrin of a jealous local girl, who insists on prying into Grace’s past and stirring up deadly trouble. Will Grace find love in Madison Falls…or will her stalker find her? When Night Comes by Dan Walsh: Jack Turner comes back to his alma mater to give a series of lectures for his old history professor. Within days, he starts having bizarre experiences at night. Like he’s traveling back in time, experiencing the epic events in his lectures firsthand. Several college students suddenly start dying in their sleep. The Professor who’d invited Jack begins acting edgy and strange. And there’s this beautiful brunette in the back row. Every time he looks at her, she’s smiling at him. She looks vaguely familiar. Battered Justice by Linda Bradley White: FBI Special Agent Jake Tucker works hard to be an excellent investigator and a great dad. Having Cass McKenna as his partner helps. An investigation into a shooting leads them to a shadowy trail of crime connected with a casino--and the battered body of Jake's ex-wife. Jake is sure Tam's new husband, a powerful state senator, killed her. But Lady Justice can be battered, too. Soon Jake and Cass find themselves in the fight of their lives.

Too Many Secrets (Roxanne Boudreaux Trilogy #1)


E.B. Corbin - 2017
     Roxanne Boudreaux never knew her Aunt Roxy existed until notified of the woman’s death. Named as the sole heir to her aunt’s estate, the Pittsburgh tax attorney finds herself in a world of danger she never anticipated.  Intent on securing a partnership in her law firm, Roxanne dismisses her inheritance as irrelevant. But after an abrupt end to a serious relationship, she travels to Oilville, PA and reluctantly accepts help from DSS Agent John Callahan. They encounter several deadly obstacles including a member of the Irish Republican Army sent to retrieve money hidden years ago. Roxanne has no idea what to do with her small-town legacy when a shocking revelation from her mother adds to Roxanne’s confusion. As the chaos in her life grows, can she overcome both the threats and turmoil? Will she let Callahan defend her or go it alone?

Ford's Rise: Party time with Fords, Brothers, Alpha-Bits and Alexia (Badass Security Council (BSC) Book 11)


L. Ann Marie - 2020
    

Irish Love


Amanda Heartley - 2018
    After all, it’s just a bit of harmless flirting, right?And when she calls to ask for my help one night, I can’t resist having a little fun with her. She thinks I’m a player, and I can’t deny it, but I want to show her there’s more to me than that.I never thought it would happen, but flirting soon turns to burning desire. The more time I spend with her, the more I take a long, hard look at myself, and the harder I’m falling under her captivating spell. Now, I need to convince her my feelings are real.And I can’t even begin to think how I’m going to tell my best friend about us—aka, her country music superstar brother. He warned me to stay away, and he’ll kill me, I’m sure.SiobhanI had it all planned out. It should have all been so simple.Go to LA, see my brother, then get back to my quiet life in Ireland. Love and romance were not in the picture at all, until he picks me up from the airport. I can’t deny I’m attracted to him, but it’s not happening. No way could we ever work.He’s a player.He’s older than me.We live an ocean apart.And, duh… for the love of Mary, he’s my brother’s best friend.But when I find myself stranded, he’s the only one I can call. He’s more than happy to help me out—and even more happy to remind me I owe him for coming to my rescue—but I tell myself not to fall for his charms.I’m only there for a week, so the last thing I expect is to wake up in his bed.Irish Love is the second book in The Claddagh Trilogy. A contemporary short story of love, friendship and family life that can be read as a standalone, though you may want to read Irish Affair first to familiarize yourself with the characters. This book ends on a mild cliffhanger / happy-for-now, and the conclusion to Ben and Siobhan’s steamy romance will be in the third book, Irish Heart, out March 2018.

Cold Fear


Suzanne Brandyn - 2013
    When she regains consciousness, her daughter is missing.As the police widen their futile search, Macy struggles to pick up the pieces of an unimaginable life. Urged to take a break she heads to an isolated cabin with a girlfriend to recuperate so she can continue searching, only to face her worse nightmare - times ten.Trapped by a man she believed dead, he demands she play a game. She runs, he hunts. There is no place to hide...