Book picks similar to
Calculated Risk by L.G. Westlake


family-issues
secrets
kidnap-capture
legal-thriller

Wild Hearts


Reina Torres - 2020
    Including, time away from her huge and over attentive family. In Center City she could focus on her job as a Police Officer and live her own life. She wasn’t expecting to find anyone who could handle a woman who didn’t need a man to protect her. She could do a fine job on her own.Roan Ashley is the top ER Trauma Doctor at Cole Medical. He’s not just cool under pressure, he’s an iceberg. That all goes out the window when he sees CCPD Officer Pilar Bravo injured during the apprehension of a robbery suspect. It doesn’t stop there. While they begin to know each other off the clock, she keeps coming into the ER for injuries on the job. He’s falling fast for Pilar, but it seems like everywhere she goes, danger follows and while his calling is to heal people, to treat their wounds, the idea that she could be taken from him at any moment makes him question if he’s the right person for her. Being a female officer adds layers of stress onto an already stressful job. Equality is a great idea, but not everyone subscribes to that ideal. Pilar struggles with the difference between experience and seniority, and personal clashes lead to a dangerous showdown on patrol. Roan is left to struggle with his own fear of losing someone he loves and lending his strength when he can’t use his medical skills to save her. Standing on the side of the fight is not something he’s used to, but he’ll do what he needs to do… for her.

Smokin' Cowboys


Poppy Flynn - 2021
    ‘Wives wanted for three hardworking cowboys’Homeless, jobless, and mourning the loss of her grandmother, Ellie is desperate enough to do something no sane, self-respecting woman would think of: she decides to take a chance on an alluring, old-fashioned advert for a modern-day mail-order bride in the heart of the Montana wilderness.Except, when she arrives, it seems she's not the only woman who dreams of hot cowboys.The competition for the men's attention is fierce and Ellie can't even decide which of the brothers she likes best – sexy, domineering Cody, thoughtful, romantic Syrus, or the fun-loving Ezra who always makes her laugh.The only thing she knows for sure is that the other women want her gone and it's starting to look like they'll do anything to make that happen...

Silver


Krystal M. Anderson - 2018
    But when her outlaw uncle reappears after four years’ absence and threatens to kill her, Clara embarks by stagecoach on her wildest adventure yet… and unexpectedly finds love along the way. Seeking fortune to prove his worth, Hal Horner buys a silver mine in the Owyhee Mountains, feeling the solemn darkness of the underground mine reflects perfectly the emptiness in his own heart. He succeeds in finding treasure, though it’s not the shiny type he intended….

On His Ranch


Dinah McLeod - 2021
    Despite her furious protests, however, her defiance is soon dealt with by means of a sound spanking over the firm-handed cowboy's knee.The strict correction leaves her sore, sobbing, and shamefully aroused, yet Piper soon finds herself helping to cook breakfast the next morning with her cheeks still blushing and her bottom still sore. But if she stays on his ranch it won't be because Chase needs help with the chores...It will be because she needs a daddy.The kind of daddy that will take off his belt when his little girl has been naughty.Publisher's Note: On His Ranch includes spankings, intense and humiliating punishments, and rough sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

Cash is King


Shanna Handel - 2022
    He's an elusive billionaire, hiding secrets behind those captivating blue eyes. He's a member of a powerful chosen family who runs the city from behind closed doors. He's as forceful and demanding as he is gorgeous. And...he's my boss. I'm suddenly whisked away to his secret, glamorous world. He has me sign a contract making him not only my boss but my...dom. I thought that kind of thing only happened in movies but here I am shaking in my stilettos every time I step into his office. Cash has bosshole tendencies and I have to obey every shameful command. Or, risk facing humiliating punishments that leave me blushing for days. His love is harsh; he leaves his mark on my skin. He wants me. All of me. He's made it clear to everyone...I'm his and his alone. Afterall...
This is his world and Cash is king.

Break My Chains


Nicolina Martin - 2019
    He’ll stop at nothing to reach freedom, but even he can’t win over the forces of nature. When he gets caught in a violent snowstorm, he has no choice but to seek shelter. He didn’t know that the young woman opening the door would change his life forever. Fleeing her troubled past in Arizona, leaving her loved ones behind, Mia Cassidy has found solace in an isolated cabin in the deep woods of Colorado. She’s hesitant to let the tall, hulking, and oddly attractive stranger into her home, but the storm is lethal and she can’t be responsible for another death. She had no way of knowing this chance encounter would rip her from her cocoon and make her question everything she knew. Trapped together, their unexpected meeting soon turns into a battle of wills and a fight against the irresistible pull between them. When the fragile trust they’ve built is betrayed, everything comes crashing down. Mia must unravel the secrets and find the truth before it’s too late to save either of them.

A Maid for Mason (Mail-Order Mama, #13)


Regina Walker - 2021
    Her coming of age was marked more by starting work alongside her mother than an lavish party. The young woman of the house where she works is full of wild ideas and tries to drag Mary Ann into all of her schemes. One such scheme finds Mary Ann exchanging letters with a man settling in the west, which lets her imagine something other than the life of a housemaid for the first time ever.Widowed at a young age, Mason has been left to care for his son and land alone. They have enough to get by, but it's hard to work the land, run the cows, and keep a toddling boy out of trouble. His sister and her husband help where they can, and they keep offering to take his son for a time, but Mason can’t bear the thought of letting the boy go live with them. Love is the last thing on his mind as he tries to figure out how to keep moving forward.Hannah, Mason's sister, doesn't think her brother should be trying to do everything alone. He won't listen to her pleas to do something to find a wife, so she takes matters into her own hands.Can two people, tricked by a sister with good intentions, find love on the frontier?

Cherished by the Rancher (Black Rock Ranch #1)


Jen Peters - 2021
    A single mom in hiding. Life at Black Rock Ranch just might explode.Maddy Johnston wants one thing: safety for her and her daughter. She finds it in the back of beyond at the Black Rock Ranch, as long as she can keep her identity a secret. But her ex is on her trail, and the rancher she’s falling for prizes honesty. Not good when he doesn’t even know her real name.Adam Black likes to be in control of everything: his livestock, his ranch, his life. He handles it well until a new accountant shows up. He’s mesmerized by Maddy’s glorious curls and luscious smile, but he has too many worries to have time for love—especially now that his father is having difficulties.Adam must learn to let go and let love in, but what happens if Maddy can't overcome her past?If you’re fan of Liz Isaacson or Jessie Gussman, you’ll enjoy love and life with the Black Rock Ranch brothers.

January Ice


Jenny Plumb - 2020
     Attacked after leaving a lifestyle club for a night of play with strangers, Jade is shaken. When Officer Danny discovers which club she visited, he reveals a glimpse of his dominant side to Jade. It’s exactly what she needed to help calm her nerves. Still, she feels as though someone is watching her. Is her mind playing tricks on her after the attack, or does she have a stalker who won’t leave her alone? Publisher’s Note: This steamy romantic suspense story contains elements of power exchange.

Grace's Hope


Cissie Patterson - 2017
    Could becoming a mail order bride be the answer? One ad speaks to her heart and provides hope. Is this the solution to repairing her shattered dreams or the start of a new nightmare? Sheriff Colt Matthews has no desire to marry again. Yet, despite his determination to remain single, he must consider the needs of his young daughter. Would a mother’s touch help her find the healing she needs? Is true love needed if hope exists? Journey to Freedom, Colorado in this new mail-order bride romance series and discover surprises along the way. * Content level - This story contains mild physical intimacy between a married couple.

Lawman Daddy


Mary Wehr - 2018
    To make matters worse, her guardian turns out to be Jim Wade, the new marshal of the town of Harmony, Texas, and the stern, infuriatingly sexy lawman is dead set on taking her very firmly in hand.It doesn't take Jim long to realize that his sassy, disobedient ward is in desperate need of strict correction, and when Riley puts his warnings to the test he does not hesitate to bare her bottom and spank her soundly. But even with her cheeks blushing and her backside on fire, Riley cannot help wondering what it would be like to belong to Jim, and soon she is calling him daddy.Though he worries he is taking advantage of his authority over her, Jim cannot stand the thought of another man courting Riley, and before long he decides to make her his wife and claim her properly. Surrendering her beautiful, virgin body to her new husband's masterful lovemaking proves more pleasurable than Riley ever dreamed, but when she is kidnapped by a local ruffian seeking vengeance against Jim, can she count on her lawman daddy to rescue his little girl?Publisher's Note: Lawman Daddy includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

Given to the Cowboy


Amelia Smarts - 2021
    She’s delivered to a stern cowboy in the Old West colony, one of the locations where humans are returning to live after a cataclysm destroyed much of the planet. By replicating historical lifestyles, survivors hope to heal the Earth and escape extinction. Old-fashioned cowboy Isaac Woolcott expects his bride to obey him or else suffer a bare-bottomed spanking. But Aurora soon discovers that her groom is as kind as he is strict, and she can’t help but be aroused by his tender lovemaking in the bedroom. Just as she begins to fall for him, an enemy threatens to destroy their lives using secrets from her past. Will Aurora be able to reveal her true self to her husband? And will the no-nonsense cowboy accept Aurora despite her turbulent history? Publisher’s Note: Given to the Cowboy contains disciplinary spankings of adult women, open-door love scenes, and a hero who will win your heart.

A Little Secret (Hopevale Littles Book One)


Adaline Raine - 2021
    Or so they think, until a chance encounter reveals a huge secret they’ve been hiding from each other.Now they’re exploring being Little together, under the watchful eye of Amanda’s Daddy, Seth. Everything seems perfect, until Seth’s adventure-loving brother Nathan returns home. Kelsey falls hard for the handsome world-traveler and before long, she is living a life she only ever dreamed of.But Kelsey discovers a dangerous secret that could ruin everything they hold dear. Or it could lead to the greatest adventure of their lives.

Gunsmoke and Gingham


Kirsten Osbourne - 2017
    She has no desire to be in the town where they grew up together and memories of him will flood through her at every turn. After five years as a cook, her employer suggests she become a mail order bride to a man who has no desire to find love…only a life partner. Unsure if she’s making a mistake, she sends a letter in reply to the ad, unsure if she’ll be able to handle marriage to a stranger after expecting a life of love. William Jones has always known he’d marry his love, but when her father insists he goes West to make his fortune before they can marry, he reluctantly agrees. After all, he wants his love to get everything she ever wants in life. When he finds out Mary has died after a tragic illness, he gets his farm ready, but he can’t go through his entire life without love. He sends for a mail order bride, getting the biggest shock of his life. Will he ever be able to trust his bride? Or will he spend the rest of his life regretting his decision to marry? THE ECHO OF MUSIC by AMELIA C. ADAMS: When acclaimed opera singer Orinda Lou Britt loses her voice, she leaves the stage and her home in Chicago to live in Topeka, where no one knows her and she can start over again. Along with her, she brings her cherished heirloom piano, a gift from her grandmother. Nathan Perry travels the country tuning pianos in every town, and there is no one Orinda Lou trusts more. But when it comes time for her piano to be repaired, Nathan seems nowhere to be found, and when he does finally arrive, the reason for his absence may drive them apart forever. TETON SEASON OF PROMISE by PEGGY L. HENDERSON: Olivia Barkley knows how to take care of herself. Growing up in an orphanage, she’s learned that good things don’t come easily and certainly don’t last forever. While escaping the unwanted advances of her employer, her path crosses with a man who made a promise he didn't keep. Caleb Walker has lived a life of freedom among the spectacular Tetons, surrounded by the love of his family and friends. Unexplained restlessness prompts him to leave his beloved mountains in search of answers. When he joins an expedition into the wilderness, he is shocked to come face to face with a woman from his long-forgotten past. Caleb and Livy must find a way to come to terms with their unexpected meeting. If they can move beyond the guilt and misunderstandings of the past, they might discover that they were meant to be together all along. THE GUNSMITH’S BRIDE by KRISTIN HOLT: Morgan Hudson can’t begrudge his widowed father a second chance at happiness. So when Dad’s mail-order bride arrives in Mountain Home with a beautiful daughter, Morgan’s life flips upside down. The lovesick fifty-year-olds need a chaperone, and Morgan can’t remember to treat Lizzy like a sister. Will their emergent love survive their parents’ romance, threats from the past, and a law forbidding kissing on the streets of Mountain Home? HANNAH’S HERO by MARGERY SCOTT: US Marshal Kirby Matheson is on his way to testify at the trial of an outlaw when he comes across Hannah on the trail, unconscious and hurt. He feels a connection to her unlike any he’s never felt with another woman. He’s sure she feels the same, so why is she so frosty toward him? And why is he suddenly thinking about giving up the one thing he’s always valued – his freedom? When Hannah Wilde is rescued by a handsome stranger after being thrown from her horse during a storm, she finds her

Devil's Contract


Alta Hensley - 2022
    Her empire is like a fairytale. But there is no happily ever after in this story. For there are consequences for breaking a decade old contract sealed with blood, and now she must pay the price. Because of my power, connections, and our past, the Manhattan royalty has no choice but to turn to me for help.The villain in the story.Dangerous. Vengeful. Possessive. I’m a man to be feared in the elite underground. I’m also the only person who can save her legacy.Locked in my clutches, she must play my wicked game of revenge.She’ll have no choice but to fall to her knees, beg, and pull out her dark pen to sign a contract with the Devil.USA Today Bestselling authors Alta Hensley and Livia Grant join forces to bring you a dark billionaire STANDALONE enemies to lovers romance.