Book picks similar to
Phantom by R.J. Gray


contemporary
suspense
romance
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Maximum Risk


Jennifer Lowery - 2014
    When he fast-ropes down to save missing humanitarian aid worker, Avery Marks, in the remote mountains of Azbakastan he isn’t prepared for the brave, stubborn woman who challenges the rules he wrote in order to protect her. But when it comes to matters of the heart nothing is simple… Avery Marks learned a long time ago to take care of herself, but when her convoy is attacked, her friends and coworkers murdered, she has to rely on the aid of intensely capable and handsome, Quinn Wolff to get her safely out of the country. His skills keep her alive, but his kisses put her in danger. In danger of losing her heart. That’s a risk she can’t take ever again. Content Warning: Sexual content

In the Grasp: A Second Chance Sports Romance


Cadence Keys - 2021
    I thought I’d have more accomplished by now - like a wife and family - but for nine years I’ve held onto the memory of the girl who got away. Now she’s back and I’m more determined than ever to make her mine. For good this time.PaigeAfter years of working tirelessly, I just landed my dream job at the largest newspaper on the west coast. Unfortunately, that lands me in the same city as the man who broke my heart nearly a decade ago - the same one I’ve never really been able to let go of. When my editor assigns me to write an exposé on Jack, I’m forced to decide where my loyalties lie - with the career of a lifetime, or the love of my life.In the Grasp is the first steamy standalone contemporary sports romance in the LA Wolves series.

Operation: Marry Me


Emma Nichols - 2018
    A Marine sent to protect her.EnriqueFrom the moment I saw Maddie Weeks, I was smitten.We could've had a great love affair, except for three little things:1. It was my job to protect her.2. She was already married.3. I could never marry.Then her jerk of a husband blew up.Literally.And our low key surveillance was kicked up a notch.We needed an inside man.Naturally, I took one for the team and assigned myself that role.My cover?Obviously, we'll have to be married.Fake married.Too bad I really love her.

As Deep as the Ocean


Serenity Woods - 2017
    “To save the vineyard. It’ll be strictly business.”He’s right, Winifred (Fred) Cartwright thought. It was just a contract, a way to access the money tied up in her inheritance. It didn’t mean anything.She mustn’t think about his broad shoulders. About the intriguing tattoo that curled around his arm, how his muscular body gleamed when he worked in the warm sunshine, or how his ocean-blue eyes heated her from the inside out. She mustn’t think about the stolen kiss, the way he’d slipped his arm around her waist to pull her against him. The soft touch of his lips on hers.“It’ll be strictly business,” he repeated.Yeah, right.

Rattlesnake Road


Amanda McKinney - 2021
    ★♥ Named one of POPSUGAR's 12 Best Romance Books to Have a Spring Fling With ♥Welcome to 1314 Rattlesnake Road—the perfect hideaway to escape your past.After leaving her posh NYC life behind, fashion editor Grey Dalton escapes to the small, southern town of Berry Springs to pick up the broken pieces of her life. On impulse, she purchases a rumored-to-be-haunted house where she finds herself thrown into decade-old murder mystery, and onto the rocky road of recovery and self-discovery. Men are the last thing on her mind—until she meets a tattooed cowboy and a dashing businessman. One will steal her heart, the other, her soul.Rattlesnake Road pushes the boundaries and blends genres in this raw, emotional, no-holds-barred story. ★ "A dark, edge-gripping emotional read." - Obsessive Reads ★★ “sexy, suspenseful romance.” - Publisher’s Weekly Review ★★ "Strong characterization bolsters this profound, romantic tale." - Kirkus Review ★(Due to serious subject matter and mature content, please be aware that this book might be an emotional trigger for some readers.)

Look After You


Elena Matthews - 2014
    Well, that’s what twenty-eight-year-old Ava Jacobson thought. Instead, she has to sit back and watch her daughter fight for her life, while her fiancé is fighting a messy war in Afghanistan. As her vulnerability hits an all-time low, she finds comfort in an unexpected pair of intense, green eyes. Eyes that belong to her daughter's doctor, Dr. Ashton Bailey. Although she tries to fight against her new-found feelings for Ashton, the pull between the two is so strong it proves impossible for her to stay away. When Ava is convinced things can’t get any worse, a single call changes everything, with news that will irreversibly shake her world forever.Warning: Recommended for ages 18+ due to heavy subject matters of rape and suicide. Also includes violence, explicit language and sexual situations.

Cured


Stacy Eaton - 2018
    For six years, Ember has closed off her heart, moving from one man to another, trying to feel something other than her own pain and guilt. Colt Barnes is a plastic surgeon who strives to give people a better quality of life, especially children. The night he watches Ember leave the bar with another one-night stand, he resolves to offer up a challenge to get her to view herself in a new light. Little does he know that the challenge will change both their lives, but when Embers’s secret is exposed, will Colt be able to accept it and trust her, or will Ember go back to her old ways and leave Colt broken? Love Medical Romance? Check out the rest of the Heal Me Series for sexy romances that will warm your heart as they deal with life-altering medical and psychological issues. While each book in the Heal Me Series is a stand-alone book, the characters cross between books and are best enjoyed by reading them in order. Cured, Book 1 Revived, Book 2 Mended, Book 3 Rescued, Book Eaton's romances are perfect steamy romances for fans of Melissa Foster, Carly Phillips, Mona Risk, Leanne Banks, Mimi Barbour, Carolyn Brown, and Lexi Blake and other small-town romance fans. The characters are flawed and real, dealing with real-life issues and overcoming real-life odds and earn their happily ever after.

Bulletproof


Regan Black - 2013
    To avoid a dishonorable end to his decorated military career, John Noble made a deal with the devil. He gave up his name, endured harrowing training, and accepted every mission thrown at him for one purpose: redemption. When he accepts his latest orders, providing personal security for a reporter in trouble, he bargains hard to guarantee it will be his last job for the shadow agency he knows only as Unknown Identities (UI). An ambitious reporter, Amelia Bennett, is about to break the story of her career, if she lives long enough to tell it. Caving to her boss's demand, she hires a bodyguard and soon it is obvious John Noble is the only obstacle standing between her and certain death. Just when John believes he has found someone he can trust and love, who loves him unconditionally for who and what he has become, his orders are amended: Amelia Bennett is to be terminated. Introducing Unknown Identities: an alternative for elite soldiers and spies facing criminal charges... if they can survive the program.

Bishop's Pawn


Suzanne Halliday - 2017
    A mission to locate his boss’s surprise half-sister. There’s just one problem. He’s feeling restless and edgy. Too many happily ever afters are going on around him. So when he sets off to find a twenty-something hidden away in rural Oklahoma, the best thing that could happen was finding her quickly—so he could get back to being grumpy. Born into isolated obscurity, Kelly Anne James is dogged by her mother’s poor choices. Self-reliant, determined and fiercely independent, she has plans. Big plans that didn’t include duplicating her mother’s pitiful life. Destiny however moved these two around like chess pieces until the perfect moment when time, weather and a cascade of surprises turned a simple game into the challenge of a lifetime. Journey to Oklahoma with Roman where he comes face to face with the feisty Kelly and her surprising secrets. Secrets that will shake up his life and the life of his boss and friend. Bishop’s Pawn ~ the happily ever after you’ve been waiting for!

Love at Coco Bay


Kirsty McManus - 2021
    With a recent promotion from receptionist to co-assistant manager—not to mention the ongoing opportunity to live and work with her best friends—everything is perfect.Well, except for one tiny thing. Sasha has never had much luck in the boyfriend department, and the only guy she’s ever been interested in is event planner Dash, a Channing Tatum lookalike who is oblivious to her affections.But when a resort guest insists that Sasha work with Dash on an upcoming wedding, they are suddenly thrust into a three-month-long high-pressure environment. Sasha can no longer hide from Dash, and Dash has no option but to get to know Sasha.As expected, things get off to a rocky start, and when a mystery investor arrives at the island, the situation only gets worse. Sudden changes in the corporate hierarchy and bizarre managerial decisions mean that not only the wedding, but the entire resort’s future is in jeopardy.Can Sasha survive the chaos, make the wedding a success, and end up with her dream guy?She’s going to try.

Colorado Takedown


Cricket Rohman - 2018
    Romantic. Nothing will stop a McAllister cowboy from protecting the woman he loves. Hannah Hudson has a distorted view of home and family due to her odd, impoverished upbringing. She longs for her own Happily Ever After, but she’s willing to settle for escaping the Phoenix heat and her dreary job. Then, along comes a miracle. Luck crash-lands in her lap. With a new, improved To Do List, and a heart filled with hope, she heads for a ranch in the cool hills of Colorado. At last, she’s loving life. Shortly after arriving, her luck runs out. A tragic accident occurs, and a troubling reality sets her reeling. She’s alone. There is no Dairy Queen, no Circle K, not even a hospital along the winding mountain road that links the remote ranch to the nearest town. The seclusion of her new world is frightening. Reluctantly, she teams up with Trace McAllister, a wise, local cowboy, who helps her learn the ropes around the ranch and in the bedroom. Love is in the Rocky Mountain air. A brilliant cattle dog and an intuitive palomino horse add fun and excitement to their days. But their fast-blooming chemistry is fraught with conflict, secrets, and a relentless, unidentified evil. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING … “The descriptions of Hannah’s interactions with Oatie, the dog, and Lewissa, the horse, were delightful and satisfying.” “There was a bit of Bonanza in the story that appealed to my TV past, especially in the scenes that took place at the Lucky Seven.” “An excellent, believable account of one character’s claustrophobia.” “Loved the main characters, Trace and Hannah, and the supporting characters were fascinating and unusual, adding twists and turns.”

Love & Other Chaos


Jackie Walker - 2020
    Brody’s my friend - just a friend. He’s also my autistic son’s favorite teacher.He’s as off limits as they come, no matter how drop dead gorgeous he is. Falling for him would be wrong. Resisting him though, is becoming pure torture. After being burned by men who can’t handle dating a single-mom of a special-needs child, I refuse to date anymore. Not until my son is grown. My plan is working fine until my trouble-making bestie presents me with a dare that I can’t resist. I’m a sucker for a good dare - especially when margaritas have been consumed. And she’s just dared me to plant a surprise kiss on Brody’s sexy lips, while she records it for a trending TikTok challenge video. But if I do this, it could change everything. My life is already pure chaos and maybe now is not the best time to shake things up even more. Is it worth risking our friendship and his important role in my son’s life for one kiss? What if he wants more? What if I do? Love & Other Chaos is a hilarious, steamy, friends-to-lovers romantic comedy featuring a drop dead gorgeous and seriously buff teacher with the hots for a single-mom of an autistic pre-teen son... who happens to be one of his students. This story also includes wise-cracking grandparents with zero respect for personal boundaries, swoon-worthy beach scenes, a jerky boss with no concept of personal space, nosey siblings and a foul-mouthed best friend who loves to instigate trouble. If you don't like sarcasm, steam, sexy-times, heroines who drink copious amounts of margaritas and laugh-a-minute dialogue, then this might not be the book for you. It’s a stand-alone novel with a happy ending, because cliffhangers will kill your margarita buzz.

The Novel Approach


Heather Guimond - 2019
     He's romance's reigning sex god. When the two accidentally collide at a book conference, sparks - and their luggage - fly. Stacy Sanders had never heard of Gage Blackstone before. If she'd known he was the man everyone called the "king of one-handed reads," she would have run away as fast as her Prada heels would take her. Every woman who'd ever read a romance novel had at least one erotic book penned by him, hidden in her underwear drawer. From the moment Stacy caught Gage's eye, he only thought about messing up her perfect hair and kissing her senseless. Stacy never imagined she'd find herself waking up next to him. But as soon as he finds out what she writes, it will be him running in the other direction. Who would have thought the most novel approach to love would be sweet, spicy, and steaming hot?

Happy Truth About Love


Karice Bolton - 2017
    Instead of overthinking what’s right in front of her, she embraces the freedom of the unknown and the thrill of leaving everything behind and moves to the small mountain town of Silver Ridge. It isn’t until she arrives at her late uncle’s Bed and Breakfast that she begins to doubt her newfound ability to throw caution to the wind. From the moment she opens the barely hanging front door and steps inside to see peeling wallpaper and a broken banister, she realizes this inheritance might not have been a gift at all. Her uncle had to be using the term Bed and Breakfast loosely in his will because it was more of a deathtrap than anything. But she does love her new town. And the overly helpful Joel North, who is exactly everything she’s told herself to stay away from. He’s gorgeous, somewhat mysterious, and he’s sprinkled with the power to make Autumn blush off just one look, which is completely unacceptable in the real world, but she just can’t help herself. What Autumn doesn’t expect to uncover are secrets that change everything she’s known about her family and the life she’s led. It doesn’t help that Joel seems to hold the answers to some of her darkest questions and there’s one he just won’t answer. As she rebuilds the old mansion, she realizes her uncle’s real gift wasn’t the B&B, but the truth that rested behind its walls.

Rookie in Love


Zoe Beth Geller - 2021
    If I wanted winter, I'd work in New York City location, not the Miami office.I prefer to represent clients for movie roles and commercials but no, I'm sent to Maine, which is more like freaking Siberia in winter. And to top it off, I have to track down this punk kid with an attitude.I'd rather be sipping a Cosmo on South Beach where I live but I have to rethink this when I meet Wyatt over the burn bin at the hockey pond. The wood isn't the only thing sizzling when he bedazzles me with his pearl-white smile, and the way he fills out those jeans, well... did I mention that I hate the cold weather? And the minute he takes to the ice with his buff body has me second-guessing my love for football? And my hatred for a committed relationship?